Asa Montgomery commits to Duke over UNC in the least surprising decision imaginable

Well, who could have possibly seen this coming?

Okay, basically everyone.

Five-star prospect Asa Montgomery commits to Duke

Five-star 2027 Class of 2027 forward Asa Montgomery announced his commitment to Duke on Wednesday afternoon, choosing the Blue Devils over a group of contenders that included North Carolina, UConn, Georgia Tech, and LSU.

For Michael Malone and the Tar Heels, it's obviously disappointing to officially miss out on one of the premier prospects in the 2027 recruiting class, but this is by no means surprising.

The writing had been on the wall for Asa Montgomery to choose Duke

North Carolina certainly gave Montgomery something to think about.

The 6-foot-7 forward made his official visit to Chapel Hill on September 25, giving Malone and his staff a chance to pitch one of the country's fastest-rising prospects.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, Montgomery's next stop was eight miles down Tobacco Road.

Montgomery officially visited Duke the following week, attending the Blue Devils' Countdown to Craziness event. That's when this recruitment really started trending in one direction.

Shortly after his trip to Durham, Crystal Ball predictions for Duke began rolling in.

Then Montgomery canceled previously scheduled visits to Arizona and Louisville.

At that point, you didn't exactly need to be a recruiting insider to figure out where this thing appeared to be heading.

By the time Montgomery announced he would make his college decision on Wednesday, everyone knew he’d commit to Duke. While some hoped he’d change his mind, the presumption was that he'd already made up his mind.

Montgomery instead becomes another major addition to Jon Scheyer's 2027 recruiting class, joining Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul.

Montgomery has experienced a rapid rise throughout the recruiting rankings over the last several months, establishing himself as one of the premier prospects in the 2027 class.

For North Carolina, the attention remains on the likes of DeMarcus Henry and CJ Rosser, both of whom have felt to be more of a priority for the Tar Heels anyway. Yes, they would’ve loved to have had Montgomery become a member of the UNC basketball program, but once they realized it wasn’t likely, Michael Malone and his staff continued to pivot elsewhere, focusing on other top-tier prospects among this recruiting class.

On to the next one for Michael Malone and the Tar Heels, who now hope Henry becomes the first 2027 recruit to commit to North Carolina on Friday.

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