You can officially add another Class of 2027 star to Michael Malone and the UNC basketball program's recruiting radar.
UNC extends an offer to five-star Marcus Spears Jr.
As shared on his Instagram page, Marcus Spears Jr. announced that he has received an offer from Malone and the Tar Heels. The 6-foot-9 power forward current plays his high school basketball for Dynamic. Prep in Plano, Texas.
The name might sound familiar for those who watch ESPN. Yes, he is the son of former Dallas Cowboy Marcus "Swagu" Spears, who now works as a television analyst on a variety of ESPN shows, including Get Up!, First Take, and NFL Live.
Spears Jr. is regarded as a consensus top-10 player in his graduating class. Both 247Sports and ESPN tab him as the best overall player in the group, while Rivals projects him at No. 9 on their latest rankings.
Regardless, this is an elite-level talent, one who Michael Malone and the Tar Heels are now all-in on bringing to Chapel Hill.
Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports provided the below evaluation of Spears Jr., one that will easily explain why many regard him as the top player that the Class of 2027 has to offer:
Spears is a lefty forward loaded with versatile long-term tools. He’s mobile, runs the floor well, and has effortless athleticism. While he’s a bouncy finisher around the rim, he also has budding skill with soft natural hands, touch, and developing floor-spacing potential as a shooter. He can put the ball on the floor a bit and is comfortable at the high post. Defensively, he can already slide laterally and protect the rim. He’s physically lean and may still be growing, but there’s little doubt that he’ll eventually fill-out his frame and that he’s still relatively young for his grade. He also plays with a high motor and the maturity to show the consistent gains he continues to make all while playing the right way and not dominating the ball.
The AAU live sessions this past weekend allowed Malone and his staff the opportunity to watch some of the top players in the nation in person. While they re-offered some prospects that the Hubert Davis regime previously offered, they also found some new recruiting targets that they want to enter the mix for, including Spears Jr. and DeMarcus Henry (among others).
Now, we're getting a firm sense of what direction the UNC basketball program, under Malone's watch, is taking when it comes to high school recruiting. Good news: the Tar Heels are going big-game hunting, as they are aiming to bring some of the nation's best high school talents to Chapel Hill over the next few years.
Landing a commitment from a guy like Marcus Spears Jr. would be quite the start on the high school recruiting trail to kick-off the Michael Malone era in absolute style.
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