UNC makes the final four for five-star DeMarcus Henry ahead of Friday's decision

Michael Malone and the North Carolina basketball program made their final pitch to DeMarcus Henry over the weekend.

Apparently, it was enough to keep the Tar Heels firmly in the race.

Just days after an official visit to Chapel Hill, the five-star forward has narrowed his list to four finalists: North Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville.

And the wait to learn where he's heading won't be a long one.

Henry will announce his college commitment on Friday, October 30, his birthday.

For UNC, the timing of his decision is one that seems very favorable for Malone and the Tar Heels.

UNC got the final visit before DeMarcus Henry's decision

Henry has visited each of his four finalists in person, but North Carolina had one significant advantage in the final stages of his recruitment.

The Tar Heels got the last word.

Henry visited Louisville, Arkansas, and Kentucky before making his way to Chapel Hill this past weekend, giving Malone and his staff the final opportunity to make their case before the five-star prospect makes his decision.

Now we'll find out just how much that final visit mattered.

Henry, a Charlotte native who currently plays for Compass Prep in Arizona, has developed into one of the premier prospects in the 2027 recruiting class. The Rivals Industry Ranking currently ranks the 6-foot-7 forward as the No. 3 overall prospect in the country, while Rivals' own rankings place him even higher at No. 2 overall.

The Tar Heels have been heavily pursuing him for quite some time, and those efforts ramped up even more once Malone took over as the program's head coach.

Given his in-state ties, Henry has discussed playing his college basketball career close to home, as the Tar Heels are a familiar program to him, even before he became a five-star talent. That doesn't mean he's a lock to end up in Chapel Hill, but there's no doubt the Tar Heels are putting in a strong effort to convince him to come home.

It won't be easy, as the other three finalists are also making strong pushes as well. Regardless of the outcome, the winner of this sweepstakes is getting one of the best players that the 2027 class has to offer.

One important school to note that wasn't included among his finalists is Ohio State. Given that his brother, Chris, plays football for the Buckeyes, it was assumed that Ohio State would be in the mix until the very end.

This factor just goes to show how strong of a push the four finalists have made.

North Carolina had the final visit on Henry's recruitment tour. Was his final stop in Chapel Hill enough to convince him to become a Tar Heel?

We'll find out for sure on Friday, as this announcement will have major implications on UNC's 2027 recruiting class regardless of how it plays out.

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