College basketball recruiting has some similarities to horse racing.
Just as dozens of horses line up at the starting line waiting for the gates to open, that's exactly what college basketball coaches were doing this week.
On Monday, coaches could officially begin contacting Class of 2028 prospects. As expected, coaches across the country starting reaching out to the players in this recruiting cycle who have already caught their eye, looking to build a relationship with them that will ultimately result in them attending their respective university.
For Michael Malone and the UNC basketball program, they are already going hard after the top-ranked players that this recruiting class has to offer.
UNC extends an offer to the top-ranked player in the Class of 2028
Late on Tuesday night, AJ Williams, the consensus No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2028, shared that he has received an offer from Malone and the Tar Heels. With his offer from North Carolina, Williams has now earned 20 scholarship offers, and many more are expected to flow in.
Blessed to receive an offer from the University of North Carolina. #AGTG pic.twitter.com/fLewM54AMw
— Aj (@aj4williams) June 17, 2026
Williams is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward who plays high school basketball at Eagle's Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, Georgia. The rising junior plays AAU ball with Team CP3 of the EYBL, which is based out of Charlotte.
While playing up against older competition, Williams continues to prove that he's one of the top high school prospects around, regardless of his graduating class year. He averaged 19.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 41.7% from the floor, as CP3 has a 8-1 record since he joined them for the second EYBL session in Memphis.
Even though he's currently a Class of 2028 prospect, there is a possibility that a reclassification could be possible, given he's already shown he can dominate while competing against older competition.
Regardless of whether he decides to reclass or stay in the Class of 2028, the Tar Heels are heavily interested.
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The competition will be steep, but this could be a great recruiting battle for Michael Malone and his staff to go all-in on. North Carolina's new coaching staff will need to prove that they can recruit the top available talents, as Malone's history in the NBA should be very enticing for players who aspire to one day play in the league.
Over the next few weeks, we'll start to get a better sense as to which prospects really have captured the Tar Heels' attention. AJ Williams easily stands atop the list, as the UNC basketball program has officially stamped itself in the mix.
If you're into high school basketball recruiting, you can start tracking the Class of 2028 standouts who have earned interest from the Tar Heels. There will be plenty of names thrown around as Malone and his staff try to build a star-studded recruting class to help mold the program's future rosters.
While the focus right now is on the 2027 class, it's never too early to start looking ahead!
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