Tar Heels have class #1 2024
According to multiple recruiting sites, North Carolina basketball has the #1 recruiting class in the 2024 rankings.
On3, 247Sports and Rivals have the Tar Heels top of the list after a solid start to 2023 for second-year coach Hubert Davis.
The 2024 UNC class includes a pair of five-star recruits and two four-star commits. The top-tier talent in the class could end up challenging Carolina’s Class of 2006, which included a trio of top-10 contenders — Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and Brandan Wright.
Combo guard Simeon Wilcher and forward Zayden High, two top 50 signers, will join the Tar Heels as part of the 2023 recruit class. But here’s a look at the Class of 2024 so far.
Ian Jackson
Ian Jackson, a 6-foot-4 guard at Cardinal Hayes High School (New York), is UNC’s highest-ranking contender since Harrison Barnes in the class of 2010, according to 247Sports.
Kentucky was considered the favorite to snap Jackson, but he rolled the tar heels when he announced his decision on Jan. 16. Cole Anthony and RJ Davis are among the latest New York City guards to join UNC.
HISTORY:UNC Basketball’s Armando Bacot passes Tyler Hansbrough for Tar Heels’ rebound record
Like Jackson, Jimmy Black—the 1982 UNC national team captain—played with Cardinal Hayes.
Jackson, an electrical guardian, told 247Sports, “Coach (Hubert) Davis is hoping I can come in and find a place similar to Caleb Love.”
Eliot Cadeau
Group point guard Elliot Cadeau was the first five-star recruit to commit to the Tar Heels in the 2024 class. The 6-foot-1 New Jersey native is the highest-ranked lead guard in the class, according to 247Sports.
Known as an elite passer, Cadeau’s ability as a pass first guard perfectly matches the type of floor leader that UNC’s best teams have had in that position.
TOP POINT GUARD:Elliot Cadeau, No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2024, is committed to UNC basketball
In the summer of 2022, Cadeau helped Sweden win gold at the FIBA European Under-18 Championship in Division B. He scored 36 points, grabbed five rebounds, gave four assists and grabbed four steals in the title game to snag the tournament’s MVP honor.
Cadeau committed to the Tar Heels in late December.
James Brown
James Brown, a 6-foot-9 forward, signed on Jan. 2.
According to 247Sports, Brown is in the top five as a center nationally and is heralded as a player who is comfortable patrolling with both hands.
“You’re probably wondering: Why North Carolina?” Brown wrote in an engagement column published by Inside Carolina. “It’s honestly not that complicated — everything at UNC was bigger than basketball.”
The ranked center averages 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 21 games at St. Rita High School, Chicago.
Drake Powell
Local prospect in the group, Drake Powell, has been the talk of Pittsboro, Northwood since he arrived for the Chargers.
The top 50 wing became UNC’s first engagement in the Class of 2024 when he opted for the Tar Heels in early September. Powell’s engine matches his athleticism, as evidenced by his steady improvement in all facets of the game over his first three seasons at Northwood.
The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 18.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals in 18 games this season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at [email protected] or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
