A Class of 2026 top-10 ranked recruit includes North Carolina among his finalists

Anthony Thompson, one of the best prospects that the Class of 2026 has to offer, has narrowed his list of schools down to seven. The five-star wing's agent, Nate Conley of Court XIV, revealed the list of finalists to Joe Tipton of On3.

The 6-foot-8 forward is now focusing on these seven schools as his recruitment begins to heat up:

Indiana
Kentucky
Michigan
North Carolina
Ohio State
Purdue
Texas

The UNC basketball program is the lone ACC program that Thompson is still considering. While he's received a high volume of interest from Big Ten and SEC squads, programs from the ACC, such as Stanford, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Louisville and Clemson all extended offers to him throughout his recruitment.

On April 25, Thompson narrowed his recruitment down to 15 schools, as he eliminated Auburn, BYU, Georgetown, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Xavier on his updated list.

Thompson has been on the Tar Heels' radar for a few months now, having earned an offer from Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program on January 5. He's a lengthy wing with an elite left-handed shot who features a high basketball IQ and can operate with what is being given to him. He would be a strong fit for North Carolina on the wing, as he's a guy who is ready to make an impact at the collegiate level once he arrives on campus next summer.

The next step in his recruitment will likely be taking some official visits. It's possible that Thompson could be on his way to Chapel Hill at some point in the near future to really see what the University of North Carolina is all about.

If he makes his way to campus this fall, it's very possible that the hype surrounding Chapel Hill, especially with the start of the Bill Belichick era for the UNC football program, can help him realize that North Carolina is the right place for him to play college basketball.