UNC Basketball: Chet Holmgren set to decide next week?

Are we nearing a decision from the nation’s No. 1-rated player in the class of 2021, and does the UNC basketball program have a chance to land him?

The recruiting process of Chet Holmgren, the nation’s No. 1 rated player in the Class of 2021 according to 247 Sports, has been relatively quiet.

In June, Holmgren announced the “Final 7” schools in the below post on his personal Twitter account. Since the UNC basketball program was included in his “Final 7,” many have waited to see if the Tar Heels could possibly land the nation’s top recruit.

It has been a bit of a “waiting game” with Holmgren, but it appears as if that will change this week.

According to national recruiting analyst Ryan James, Holmgren is expected to announce his college decision sometime over the next week. Specific details regarding his announcement have not yet been released.

The Tar Heels have been interested in Holmgren for quite some time. The program’s official offer to the 7-footer came back on January 16, 2020, and the Tar Heels have been in the mix ever since.

However, does North Carolina have a legitimate chance to land Holmgren?

As we stated before, Holmgren hasn’t discussed his options much lately. Given this, there’s no real way to show or tell which programs have the upper edge.

If you’re going off Crystal Ball predictions, it appears that Gonzaga may be in the lead for Holmgren’s services. All seven Crystal Ball predictions have high confidence in Holmgren becoming a Bulldog.

Currently, 247 Sports lists North Carolina’s interest in Holmgren as “cool.” Along with Gonzaga, three other programs (Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State) are listed as having “warm” interest in the 7-footer, which could be an indicator that the Tar Heels are trailing those schools in this recruitment battle.

Along with his seven finalists, the NBA G League could have the final say in his recruitment. Holmgren could elect to forgo college to join this developmental league,  where he can be paid to play while preparing for the following year’s NBA Draft.

Of course, anything could happen, so don’t officially rule the Tar Heels out. As the information is out about Holmgren being set to make his final decision, expect Roy Williams and his staff to make one final push to get Holmgren to play his collegiate basketball in Chapel Hill.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Chet Holmgren’s recruiting process as well as the UNC basketball program as a whole.