Just a few weeks ago, it was revealed that not only were Michael Malone and the Tar Heels actively pursuing Class of 2027 big man Darius Wabbington, but that they were heavily involved in the mix as well.
North Carolina was among the six finalists that Wabbington revealed on June 30, joining the likes of Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, and Texas as the remaining teams that still have a chance to land the 6-foot-11, 245-pounder.
Now, more news has surfaced regarding Wabbington's recruitment, news that could bode very well for UNC as his recruitment heats up.
Darius Wabbington schedules an official visit to Chapel Hill
The five-star prospect, ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2027, told Dushawn London of 247Sports that he has scheduled a handful of official visits. His goal is to visit each of his six finalists before making his final decision.
At the current moment, the schedule for Wabbington looks like this:
Indiana- September 3
Louisville- September 11
Arizona- October 25
UNC- October 30
Texas- originally was scheduled for October 10 but is being rescheduled.
Kentucky- TBD
Based on this early schedule, it's very possible that North Carolina will be the final stop on his official visit tour. This could bode well for Michael Malone and his staff as they might be able to sway his decision when he makes his way to Chapel Hill.
Of course, every student-athlete is different, and any particular visit can sway the decision regardless of the order in which they occur. However, there are some benefits to being the first or last visit on a respective athlete's visit schedule:
If you're first, you have that prime opportunity to set the standard extremely high, making it difficult for the other schools to match.
If you're last, you get that final impression, one that could stick with the player as their decision looms near.
North Carolina wouldn't mind being the last stop. You know what they say: "Save the best for last."
In this recruitment, Wabbington might be enticed by the opportunity to play for Malone, who strung together a ton of success at the NBA level. An NBA championship winning head coach, Malone was at the helm with the Denver Nuggets when Nikola Jokic emerged as a star, so it's safe to say that Malone knows a thing or two about getting the most out of his big men.
That, along with the prestigious history that the UNC basketball program has, should be a very strong starting point in North Carolina's pitch to him throughout the remainder of his recruitment.
Michael Malone and UNC join the chase for one of the fastest-rising 2027 prospects
Armando Bacot said it best when he advised high school athletes not to visit North Carolina unless they plan on visiting. While being one of the last stops on the tour could be risky, given another school could blow the others out of the water before he even makes his way to Chapel Hill, it could also be a very good thing if he does step foot on campus.
Once that happens, the rest should fall nicely into place for UNC in this recruitment, as they seem to check all the boxes for what Wabbington is looking for in his future home.
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