There’s a new Momo Faye favorite over UNC and no one should be surprised

It wasn't that long ago that UNC and Michael Malone seemed to be in the driver's seat when it came to the recruitment of big man Mouhamed 'Momo' Faye. A standout for Paris Basketball in France's first division, Faye is looking at playing college ball and he recently met with Malone and Chuck Martin in Europe.

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However, the Tar Heels weren't able to reel in his commitment, as it was previously reported that BYU, St. John's and Texas Tech were also in the hunt. Since then, reports have also surfaced that Faye is looking for top dollar NIL wise and he was getting offers around double to what UNC had on the table.

Because of that, he's been looking elsewhere and a new leader has emerged for him if he does end up making the move to the college level. And in no surprise at all, that new leader is Texas Tech, as the Red Raiders are always big spenders and they likely have the NIL money that the Senegalese native is looking for:

Texas Tech is making a push to land former top UNC target Momo Faye

Hey, we can't even hate on the Red Raiders here. Head coach Grant McCasland is looking to put together an elite roster for next season and Faye is one of the top international bigs still out there for the taking. We would have loved to see him in Chapel Hill, but NIL money talks and Carolina wasn't willing to give him the coin he was eyeing.

With that said, that doesn't mean that Malone hasn't been crushing it out on the recruiting trail. At center, 5-star talent Sayon Keita has committed and he'll be making the move over from FC Barcelona. Cade Bennerman has provided needed depth, while other centers are getting serious looks too, including Brice Dessert.

Oh and with the addition of 4-star wing Kevin Thomas to the 2026 class, North Carolina's haul, including transfers, is ranked No. 8 in the country. That fact alone speaks to the fantastic work from Malone, Martin and others in helping build out the roster for next season. Yes, not having Caleb Wilson and others hurts, but the work is being put in to ease that pain.

Again, at one point it seemed like Malone and Co. had things at the one yard line with Faye, but things just weren't meant to be here. Moving forward, all eyes are going to be on Texas Tech, as it seems like both St. John's and BYU are focused on other players. Could a new team emerge late? Who knows, but what we do know is that Faye won't be in Carolina blue next campaign.

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