UNC Basketball: 4-star prospect talks Hubert Davis, Tar Heels

4-star UNC basketball target Justin Taylor talks about his high-profile recruitment, and the relationship he’s building with North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis.

Class of 2022 prospect Justin Taylor received a scholarship offer from the North Carolina Tar Heels back in mid-February when Hall-of-Fame head coach Roy Williams was still at the helm. In the months since, former assistant-turned-head coach Hubert Davis has not only reaffirmed his interest in Taylor, but continued to remain heavily involved in his high-profile recruitment.

A 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing with speed, athleticism and a versatile offensive skill set, Taylor has scholarship offers from Butler, Florida, Indiana, Marquette, Maryland, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others, and that list will continue to grow as he impresses coaches and scouts on the recruiting trail.

Earlier this year, sources indicated that it was Indiana, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech that had the inside track at a commitment from Taylor, but it was, and is, still incredibly early in his recruitment to identify a definitive clubhouse leader. That’s good news for Davis and the Tar Heels, as they’d love to add a player of Taylor’s caliber to their 2022 recruiting class — one that, to this point, doesn’t have a single member.

Taylor had good things to say about the Tar Heels in a recent interview with 247Sports’ Dushawn London, who asked the top-100 recruit about his budding relationship with Davis following the retirement of former UNC head coach Roy Williams.

"“Our relationship has been good but obviously it kind of changed when Coach (Roy) Williams retired,” Taylor said. “The new coaching staff has made me a priority and Coach (Jeff) Lebo is my lead recruiter along with Coach (Hubert) Davis, so I’m just excited to get down there and see everything. Speaking with them, their message has been to have me be the main guy at the shooting guard position. They like to get out and run but they need a guy like me to space out the floor and shoot it.”"

Depending on what happens with the Tar Heels’ top wing targets in the class of 2022, Taylor could become an important prospect for first-year head coach Hubert Davis and his staff. Given that the Tar Heels haven’t signed a single 5-star wing since Nassir Little in 2017, they may want to focus on prioritizing Taylor in the coming months.

Taylor is currently ranked 86th in the 247Sports Composite. He’s No. 21 among small forwards, and fifth in the state of Virginia. He’s ranked substantially higher in the Top247, where he comes in at No. 56 overall and 12th among players at his position.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Justin Taylor recruitment, as well as everything on the UNC basketball program.