UNC Basketball: 4-star recruit spurns Tar Heels, picks ACC rival

Justin Taylor will begin his college basketball career in the ACC, but the 4-star recruit will not be making his way to Chapel Hill.

After the UNC basketball program was listed among the finalists in Justin Taylor’s recruitment, there was still a solid chance that the 4-star recruit would commit to the Tar Heels. However, as Taylor’s decision day came closer, all signs pointed to the Charlottesville, Virginia native committing to a different ACC program.

On Saturday afternoon, Taylor confirmed that the pre-decision speculation was indeed correct.

Taylor, the No. 84 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 according to 247 Sports Composite, has committed to play for Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange. All signs pointed to Taylor joining the Orange, as two Crystal Ball predictions were made in their favor this past week.

Before his commitment date, Taylor made an official visit to Chapel Hill during the week of June 5. After making a few other official visits, the 6-foot-6, 200 pound rising senior narrowed his list to five programs, including the aforementioned Tar Heels and Orange, as well as Indiana, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

By adding Taylor to the mix, Boeheim and his staff are bringing in a very solid wing player who is viewed as a guy who should be a multi-year college athlete. He is a tough player who is good at finishing at the rim, and is also a very capable scorer from the mid-range. Additionally, his size and athleticism is definitely a strength, as he should be able to guard multiple positions at the collegiate level.

Although the Tar Heels did not land Taylor, give credit to Hubert Davis and his staff for making a strong push. Considering that Davis and his staff had a rather late start on the recruiting trail, it’s definitely a positive to see North Carolina among the finalists in contention to land a top-100 prospect.

For now, the Tar Heels have two official commitments for the class of 2022. As Davis and crew have a handful of scholarship offers still out on the table, expect the Tar Heels to be very active on the recruiting trail over the coming months.

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