Michael Malone and the Tar Heels have been heavily pursuing five-star Class of 2027 guard Jordan Page, which has been made extremely clear over the past couple weeks.
Page, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, is set to play his senior season of high school basketball at IMG Academy in Florida. While he's out-of-state to wrap up his high school career, it hasn't stopped him from returning home, as he's fresh off an official visit to North Carolina.
While Page has a lot of UNC's attention when it comes to 2027 targets, one of his current teammates has surfaced on their recruiting board.
Meet Bentley Lusakueno, one of the best players that the Class of 2028 has to offer.
UNC extends an offer to five-star Bentley Lusakueno
Lusakueno, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Atlanta, Georgia, revealed on social media that he has become the latest player to receive an offer from Malone and the Tar Heels.
Thank you to the University of North Carolina, Coach Malone, Coach Martin and Coach May, for the scholarship offer. All glory to God! @UNC_Basketball pic.twitter.com/HiLd4mTM6t
— Bentley Lusakueno (@BentleyLus28) September 17, 2026
Similar to Page, Lusakueno is set to play his first season at IMG Academy starting this winter. He's already had a very busy recruiting process, as North Carolina is among the 20+ programs who have already extended offers his way, including the likes of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Miami, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina, UCF, and USC.
Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting at 247Sports, had this to say about the junior big man:
"A developing young big, Lusakueno has clear long-term tools. His frame is still lean right now, but he has big and high shoulders that should allow him to fill out nicely. He's a fluid mover for his age and size and has impressive early defensive instincts."
Lusakueno becomes the fifth player in the Class of 2028 that has received an offer from the UNC basketball program. His overall recruiting rankings fluctuate a bit, but he's a guy who is widely considered to be a top-10-ranked player in his graduating class.
Sure, the current focus is on the Class of 2027, Malone and his staff are making it known that they are not being one dimensional on the recruiting trail. The Tar Heels have been actively seeking the best talent available, regardless of recruiting class, making a major effort to prove to elite players that Chapel Hill is the ideal landing spot for them.
If UNC can secure a commitment from Page, which they seem to be in a very good spot to do at this point in time, it's possible that he could help lure Lusakueno to Chapel Hill with him. Of course, there's a long ways to go for Lusakueno, who hasn't even started his junior season in high school yet, but it's never too early to plant that seed that you're interested in a particular player, as ultimately their final college decision comes within a blink of an eye.
While UNC has been heavily focused on the 2027 recruiting class, it's refreshing to hear about some of the future talents they are pursuing as well. Bentley Lusakueno joins the list of 2028 standouts who Tar Heel fans should be keeping tabs on moving forward.
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