One of the major takeaways from Michael Malone taking over at UNC early on has been his ability to recruit. Malone crushed things via the transfer portal, while also closing out the class with some international wins. On top of that, he has made a splash with high schoolers, as multiple 5-star prospects for the 2027 class are quite high on the Tar Heels.
This is important because a knock from haters was that Malone wouldn't know how to target HS players, but that worry is getting wiped away early with several top targets indeed showing strong interest in the program.
The long list includes small forward Demarcus Henry, the younger brother of 5-star Ohio State freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. In a recent interview with 247Sports reporter David Sisk, Henry didn't hold back in vocalizing his interest in UNC, while he made it clear Malone is putting in serious work to turn his head:
@CoachDavidSisk is in North Augusta, SC, at the Peach Jam, & spoke with Demarcus Henry, the No. 4 player in the class of 2027, about #UNC showing him a bunch of "love"....https://t.co/ScO4a1F8R1
— Andrew Jones (@AJTarHeel247) July 15, 2026
5-star SF Demarcus Henry has UNC as a finalist, with Michael Malone making moves
Just recently, Henry released his Top 8 schools, with North Carolina making the list. The Tar Heels are joined by Arkansas, BYU, Ohio State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and UConn. As you can see, that's a loaded group, and winning this recruiting battle sure is not going to be easy for the Tar Heels. You've got to assume Ohio State alone will be tough to bring down, with Henry's big brother getting ready to be a stud for Ryan Day.
While that roadblock may be in place, few can argue that Ohio State's basketball prestige simply does not hold a candle to Carolina's. If Henry wants to go to a hoops powerhouse and get developed in a way that can help get him to the league, UNC would make sense for him.
At this time, there's no set date for when Henry will shut down his recruitment, as visits will surely be on the way later this year. Malone and Carolina will work to get him to the Dean Dome sooner rather than later, and the hope will be that Henry will get an inside look at a place he'll potentially call home in the future.
5-star Beckham Black is another UNC target for fans to keep an eye on
Speaking of big-time 2027 talents, Beckham Black is another 5-star stud that North Carolina is making a serious push for. In some good news for Malone, Black will be taking an official visit to UNC later this year, though an exact date has not been revealed; this could end up being major for the Heels.
Black is ranked the No. 1 player in the country for '27. In addition to UNC, Black has also locked in a trip to Austin to meet with Texas. Sean Miller has been on fire of late, recently adding the pledge of Marcus Spears Jr., who UNC was once in on too.
It's still early in the process for Black, but the fact that UNC has already set an official visit with him is nothing to sneeze at. The No. 1 point guard in the country is up to 24 offers right now, but multiple schools appear to be standing out a bit. That includes UNC, and Malone must do everything possible to reel in both Black and Henry.
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