UNC Basketball: Tar Heels getting involved with 4-star power forward?

The UNC basketball program is getting involved with one of the top power forwards in the class of 2022.

The Tar Heels may have the nation’s deepest and most talented front court in the nation this season, but with that embarrassment of wealth comes the possibility that they prematurely lose players to the NBA Draft.

That list of players includes freshman sensation Day’Ron Sharpe and rising sophomore Armando Bacot — along with senior power forward Garrison Brooks, who apparently has no intention of taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility that the NCAA is offering winter sport student-athletes due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on the 2020-21 season.

If all three players were to leave North Carolina after this season, it would leave a massive void in the Tar Heels’ front court. For the record, I believe that Bacot will return for his junior campaign in Chapel Hill, but I wouldn’t bet money on a player with the kind of upside and draft stock of Sharpe to remain in college when NBA scouts and general managers are salivating over his size and ability.

UNC head coach Roy Williams certainly won’t put all of his eggs in that basket, knowing that Sharpe — or Bacot — could be gone within a matter of weeks. With only two recruits signed from the class of 2021, and neither of them suited to replace any of the aforementioned players, Williams and his staff have put a lot of effort into the 2022 class.

They’ve already extended scholarship offers to a handful of big men, and are keeping tabs on several others. One that recently made his way onto the UNC radar is Isaac Traudt, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward from Grand Island, Nebraska. A junior at Grand Island Senior School, Traudt is ranked 53rd in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s No. 11 among players at his position, and first in the state of Nebraska.

He’s holding nearly 30 offers from some of the top basketball programs in the country. Creighton, Drake, Kansas, Louisville, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Virginia Tech are among them. A handful of others — Duke, Gonzaga, Illinois, Michigan State and North Carolina — are showing plenty of interest, too.

The Tar Heels, in particular, have been in contact with Traudt a lot lately, something that he noted in a recent interview with Stockrisers’ Jake Weingarten.

"“The schools that contact me the most are Nebraska, Creighton, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Gonzaga,” Traudt said. “. . . I’ve been in pretty frequent contact with [UNC’s] Coach Frederick, and he’s watched a few of my games. They’re having a very solid season this year.”"

Traudt isn’t a traditional power forward, as he’s got the kind of skill set and athleticism to be a versatile stretch-four that can dribble, drive, pass and shoot from just about anywhere on the court. He’s creative with his shot when driving the lane and playing through contact, and he’s especially good at facilitating the offense and getting his teammates involved. He’s put on quite a bit of weight over the past year or so, but could still add a few pounds to his somewhat thin frame. He averaged 25 points and nine rebounds last season, and is becoming one of the most sought after prospects in the nation.

There’s been no indication from the Tar Heels when or if they’ll extend an offer to Traudt, but they’re certainly taking a good, long look at him. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them add him to their recruiting board in a more official capacity over the next couple of months.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Isaac Traudt recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.