Tonight’s the night where all televisions tune into the biggest, best, most-historic rivalry in all of college basketball — North Carolina-Duke.
Playing in a game of this national magnitude is a dream for countless young hoops stars, which is why all three Class of 2025 UNC commits, and a handful of targeted recruits, will be in the Dean Dome tonight.
In a league of its own, nothing beats a Carolina-Duke game. It’s an environment like no other. A game with this much energy, passion and buzz can absolutely leave a lasting impression on recruits and create a strong pull to UNC. Simply getting recruits in the stands for this iconic Tobacco Road rivalry plays a huge part of the Carolina recruiting process. The rivalry is just that special.
Inside Carolina’s Sherrell McMillan reported on the expected list of UNC commits and targets who are attending the big game tonight. UNC’s full incoming 2025 class — Caleb Wilson, Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon — will all be in attendance. Wilson is the No. 9-ranked player in the class, according to 247Sports. Denis is the No. 48 prospect in the class, and Dixon is the No. 49 prospect.
As for UNC’s targeted recruits, Cole Cloer (Class of 2026), Cody Peck (Class of 2026), Jordan Page (Class of 2027) and LJ Smith (Class of 2027) are expected to be in attendance. Cloer is the No. 29 prospect, while Peck is ranked No. 76 in the Class of 2026. Page is No. 7 and Smith is No. 29 in the Class of 2027. It’ll be a full house of commits and recruits in the Dean Dome for Senior Night.
Tonight’s game versus Duke could be an important factor in UNC landing some of these future prospects. Just remember last season when Wilson visited Chapel Hill for the UNC-Duke game, and he joined in the post-game locker room celebration. He posted a video on social media after UNC’s electric win, jumping up and down with the team, laughing and getting involved in the water bottle showers. That’s the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience the Carolina-Duke rivalry can bring.
And now, the new up-and-coming prospects visiting tonight might have the opportunity to experience a core memory like Wilson did. A special moment like that sticks with a recruit — just like it did for Wilson. Recruits want to be part of the greatest rivalry in college hoops, and one of the greatest in all of sports. Tonight, the Tar Heels hope they can secure their signature win of the season in front of their home crowd, 2025 commits and future prospects.