UNC Basketball program showing major interest in two top in-state talents

Hubert Davis and his staff are working the phones.

This weekend marked the first day that colleges can directly contact members of the Class of 2026. The UNC basketball program wasted no time contacting top-10 ranked big man Sam Funches, and also made sure they got in contact with the best talent that the state of North Carolina has to offer.

According to David Sisk of Rivals, the North Carolina coaching staff contacted Cole Cloer and Kendre Harrison on Saturday. Neither should be surprising to UNC basketball fans, as the Tar Heels have shown previous interest in both in-state targets.

At this point, it feels as if Cloer is the Tar Heels' priority target in this recruiting class. The 6-foot-6 forward from Hillsborough, North Carolina was the first member of the Class of 2026 to receive an offer from the UNC basketball program, as that offer came back on May 21.

The UNC basketball program has been active in recruiting him for essentially the last year, as the rising junior has made a few trips to visit the Chapel Hill campus, which isn't very far from his hometown.

It isn't a coincidence that he is the No. 1-ranked player in the state of North Carolina and currently the No. 18-ranked player in the Class of 2026 (according to 247Sports). Cloer has continued to develop his overall game, and his ability to shoot the basketball at an elite level will be enticing for college programs across the country.

Not only is the UNC basketball program interested in Harrison, but the UNC football program is as well. The two-sport star is a very intriguing prospect, as not many student-athletes can say they rank in the top-25 nationally in multiple sports.

On the gridiron, Harrison is viewed as the No. 6 overall player in the Class of 2026 (according to 247Sports). On the basketball court, Harrison is the No. 25 ranked player in his graduating class, as the 6-foot-7 forward is the second-best rated prospect in the state of North Carolina behind Cloer.

Harrison made an official visit to Chapel Hill on January 22, as the interest from both sides seems to be very mutual. If he does elect to attend North Carolina, Harrison would definitely be looking to play both football and basketball (similar to what we saw with Julius Peppers many years back!).

It's a busy time in the recruiting world for college coaches, as the UNC basketball program is among the many colleges reaching out to their top Class of 2026 targets. Hubert Davis and his staff would love to keep the state's top two talents at home, as both players could be major impact players for the UNC basketball (and football in Harrison's case) in the future.