UNC Basketball program wastes no time reaching out to this Class of 2026 standout

As the clock struck midnight to kick off the June 15 calendar date, coaches around the country raced to get a head start on contacting the Class of 2026.

Programs are now allowed to contact players from this graduating class, as the UNC basketball program has wasted no time reaching out to some of their top recruiting targets.

One player who quickly heard from the Tar Heels is 6-foot-10 big man Sam Funches, as the UNC basketball program was one of a handful of schools to already contact the top-10 rated prospect.

Currently viewed as the top-ranked player from the state of Mississippi, Funches is ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the class (according to 247Sports). He is also regarded as the top big man that this class has to offer, which makes total sense as to why Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels have made him a priority recruiting target already.

There will be quite a few players that the UNC basketball program makes contact with now that the 2026 recruiting window is officially open, as more names will continue to surface as time goes on. This will provide an even closer look as to how the Tar Heels plan on attacking this respective recruiting class and what players may ultimately catch their eye the most.

Cole Cloer is the only reported class of 2026 player to have an offer from the UNC basketball program up to this point, but that will very likely change over the next couple of weeks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines. The race to recruit the Class of 2026 is now underway!