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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels offer four-star center in 2022 class

By Zack Pearson

Feb 29, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams encourages his team against the Syracuse Orange in the second half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 29, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams encourages his team against the Syracuse Orange in the second half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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Roy Williams and the UNC Basketball staff are shifting their focus to the 2022 recruiting class in hopes of turning in an impressive class.

So far, UNC has pinpointed some of their top targets in this cycle while missing out on just one recruit as Skyy Clark picked Kentucky over the Tar Heels. But there’s a long way to go in this cycle still and with the potential for in-person evaluations still on the table, anything can happen.

On Friday, the Tar Heels added a new name to their 2022 recruiting board as UNC officially offered four-star center Dereck Lively.

https://twitter.com/Westtownhoops/status/1360321661082492941

The Bellefonte, Pennsylvania native is the latest player to receive a scholarship offer from North Carolina, joining guards Jaden Bradley and Nick Smith, and forwards forwards Dylan Anderson, De’Ante Green, Mark Mitchell, and Jarace Walker. He’s the first true center to earn a scholarship offer from the Tar Heels in the recruiting cycle.

Lively is ranked as the No. 39 overall player, No. 5 center, and No. 2 player in his state per the 247 Sports recruiting rankings. He now has a total of 17 offers including from Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State and UCLA among others.

Blue Bloods Duke and Kentucky have also expressed interest but have yet to officially extend an offer.

How does an offer from the UNC Basketball program impact his recruitment?

It’s still early on but there’s no hiding that this is a big offer for Lively. Anytime a Blue Blood program offers, that’s going to be the case and this is no different.

UNC should be a legit contender in this recruitment and they could point to the development of Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot as a way to lure Lively to Chapel Hill.

Even at 6-foot-11, Lively is a player that can spread the floor and shoot it from the perimeter, something UNC saw in Walker Kessler when recruiting him. He should have no problem playing in a fast paced offense if he did pick Carolina.

Next. UNC should prioritize this recruit in 2022. dark

For more on the 2022 recruiting class, please make sure to check back with Keeping It Heel.

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