UNC suddenly trending to steal rising NC State freshman away from Raleigh

UPDATE: Matt Able has since committed to North Carolina in another strong get for Michael Malone and the Tar Heels.

With North Carolina seemingly on the outside of the battle for Juke Harris, it appears as if Michael Malone has identified the player that he wants to fill that hole at shooting guard, and he won't have to look far.

North Carolina is suddenly the clear favorite to land NC State guard Matt Able, who entered the transfer portal on April 6. If Able were to commit, he would be the third playmaker that the Tar Heels picked up in the portal after recently grabbing Utah junior Terrence Brown, who led the Utes with 19.9 points per game last season. North Carolina also received a commitment from former Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas.

Over on his On3 page, North Carolina indeed is trending to land Able, with the Tar Heels being predicted at 100 percent. So, does this mean that breaking news could be on the way soon for Malone and his staff?

The upside with Able is significant. He's a big guard at 6-foot-6 and over 200 pounds. He shot over 35 percent on 3-pointers and 80 percent on free throws. It's almost a guarantee that those numbers are going to improve as a sophomore with more volume and a greater role in the offense, along with his rebounding, which was at 3.4 per game last season.

UNC is pushing to land NC State transfer Matt Able

With Brown expected to be the starter at point guard, it will allow Able to slide into the shooting guard role and complete Malone's overhaul of the back court. Able will have to continue to improve his offensive game, especially his outside shooting, but, as we said, that should come with more volume. One thing Able can do is finish around the rim and, from an overall standpoint, he offers a lot on both sides of the floor with the ability to be a plus-level defender. 

There is also the rather intriguing situation with Seth Trimble, who has played four full seasons, but entered the transfer portal. He later explained that he is waiting to see if the NCAA passes a rule this spring that opens up a fifth year option and if it will grandfather in all players that just finished their fourth season.

Trimble has suggested that, if that rule passes, his desire would be to stay in Chapel Hill, but it's unknown if the additions of Brown and potentially Able could change that. North Carolina is also waiting for Henri Veesaar to make his final decision sooner rather than later.

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