UNC Basketball: Tar Heels remain in contact with top 2023 recruiting target

UNC basketball program remains in contact with top 2023 recruiting target despite recent change at head coach

Despite the recent coaching change at the University of North Carolina — one that saw former assistant Hubert Davis take over as head coach following the unexpected retirement of Hall-of-Famer Roy Williams — the Tar Heels remain in contact and seemingly still in play with their top target in the class of 2023.

Robert Dillingham, 6-foot-1, 160-pound point guard that’s ranked among the top prospects in his class, received an offer from Williams and the Tar Heels back in late December, beginning what the highly-touted recruit called a “good relationship” with the former UNC head coach. Dillingham does, however, appear to still have interest in the Tar Heels, stating in a recent blog post that he plans to speak with Davis “soon.”

That would, no doubt, be helpful for the Tar Heels given the level of skill that Dillingham possesses, and their likely need for a new lead guard by the fall of 2023 when the Charlotte, North Carolina native is set to begin what will likely be a short stint at the college level.

A soon-to-be junior at Combine Academy, Dillingham is the No. 11 prospect in the class of 2023 according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s ranked second among players at his position, and No. 2 in the state of North Carolina. And he’s bound to be one of the most sought after recruits in the nation by the time it’s all said and done.

He recently noted that Florida, Kansas, North Carolina and Pittsburgh are among the schools reaching out to him the most, and that’s a list that’s likely to grow over the course of the next year.

Dillingham can do all of the things that you’d expect your floor general to be able to do — dribble, drive, shoot, distribute — but he’s so good at all of them, and doesn’t have a ton of glaring weaknesses. He’s an effective shooter from inside and outside the arc, and he’s got a knack for making acrobatic finishes in the painted area. And as good as he is at putting a move on his defender and finishing strong at the basket, he’s just as good at dishing out to an open teammate once he’s drawn the attention of two or three defenders.

What’s even better for the Tar Heels is that Dillingham is currently unanimously favored to land in Chapel Hill just over a year from now. That includes projections from both Rivals and 247Sports, and is highlighted by a prediction from 247Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer, who projected Dillingham to the Tar Heels with a high confidence level in late December.

We’ll continue to follow the Robert Dillingham recruitment in the coming months as the Tar Heels pursue the talented young guard. Check back with Keeping It Heel for that, and all the latest on the UNC basketball program.