The hunt continues for North Carolina and Michael Malone, as adding more help at center is the top priority for the Tar Heels with Henri Veesaar off to the NBA Draft. Recently, Carolina picked up the commitment of 5-star big man Sayon Keita, which was a huge get.
Malone is not done there, though, as there are other targets being linked to the ACC powerhouse. Well, you can add one more BIG name to the list: Brice Dessert. The French 7-footer has pro experience too, and he'll be playing college hoops next season.
Several teams are still battling to sign Dessert and originally it felt like Texas Tech was going to be in the driver's seat to pull things off. However, while speaking with Carolina great John Henson, CBS' Adam Finkelstein confirmed he's on Malone's radar. Could a last-minute recruiting win be on the way?
North Carolina has entered the race to land Brice Dessert for next season
"I think he's got more feel and craft than the statistical portrait may allude to," Finkelstein said. "You watch him play, I think he's going to be able to play out of dribble hand-offs. I think again, someone who's 23 years old that has sort of all this international experience, he's played in advanced offensive systems, so I think for someone like Mike Malone who's going to come in and have presumably a lot of advance stuff he's going to want to run, this is someone who can do that. I would be very excited for him if I were a Carolina fan."
So, you're saying there's a chance? Dessert being 23 years old and having so much experience would be nothing short of incredible for Malone and the Tar Heels. Imagine him working closely with someone like Sean May to help further develop his game close to the rim? It'd be awesome, as May knows what it takes to lead UNC to a national title. We're not going to hold our breath and assume Carolina is the favorite here or anything, but the fact that Malone appears to be making a late push like this is pretty dang intriguing.
It's important to note too that Finkelstein has reported that Dessert will likely end up with two years of eligibility too, so the door would be open for him to play next season and in 2027-28 as well. Will he end up doing so in Chapel Hill in a Carolina jersey?
It's way too early in the process here with North Carolina involved, but could Malone shock us all and pull a rabbit out of his hat? Again, we're not going to hold our breath or get overly excited, but Dessert instantly becomes a game-changing option for the Heels who fans are going to want to keep a close eye on.
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