DeMarcus Henry's FaceTime with Michael Malone makes his UNC commitment even better

Michael Malone spent months making sure DeMarcus Henry knew exactly how badly UNC wanted him.

Then came the moment when all that work finally paid off.

Henry officially committed to the Tar Heels on Friday afternoon, choosing them over Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisville as the first commitment of Malone's 2027 recruiting class.

But before the five-star forward announced his decision to the rest of the country, he had one pretty important phone call to make.

Henry FaceTimed his future head coach to let him know he was coming to Chapel Hill, and Malone's reaction makes his commitment moment even better.

Michael Malone finally got the news he had been waiting for

A behind-the-scenes video shared by Henry Legacy captured the moment Henry informed Malone of his decision.

For months, Malone had made Henry one of his biggest priorities in the 2027 recruiting class.

He traveled to watch him play, consistently stayed in contact, and, most importantly, made sure Henry understood North Carolina's vision for him.

Malone even handed Henry the phone during his official visit so Michael Jordan could make his own recruiting pitch.

All of it led to this moment.

Henry ultimately chose North Carolina largely because of the relationship he developed with Malone and the former NBA champion's vision for his future.

“I just love Coach Malone,” Henry said right after committing to the Tar Heels. “I feel like we have a similar mindset - a winning mentality. He’s won at the highest level, and he’s got like a greatness to him. He just overemphasized on how much he wanted me as a player, and just him being such a high-caliber coach, and the vision that I see in myself, it means a lot. Just talking to him about the vision and the plan that they have for me, I know they can help me reach my goals.”

Henry also emphasized how relentless Malone was throughout the process, noting that the Tar Heel head coach traveled to Mexico to watch him with USA Basketball, attended nearly every game he could, and was at his school on the first day college coaches could make contact.

That type of effort makes Malone's reaction to finally receiving the good news even more meaningful.

This wasn't simply another commitment.

When Malone arrived in Chapel Hill, one of the biggest questions surrounding his transition from the NBA to college basketball was how he would handle recruiting. Landing Henry provides a pretty convincing early answer.

The five-star forward grew up in Charlotte and has previously described North Carolina as one of his childhood dream schools. Now, he's officially coming home to play for the Tar Heels.

And before the hats, the television announcement, and the celebration from Tar Heel fans came a simple FaceTime call between a recruit and the coach who spent months trying to convince him to come to Chapel Hill.

Malone wanted his guy.

On Friday, he finally got to hear Henry tell him himself, and boy was he pumped to hear the good news.

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