North Carolina basketball among four programs on AJ Dybantsa's final list
12/04/2024 09:40 PM
North Carolina basketball is on the verge of signing a program-changing player to its roster. The Tarheels are off to a slow start in head coach Hubert Davis‘ fourth year. UNC, however, just received some excellent news for its upcoming recruiting class. The top prospect in the Class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa, has revealed his final list of schools he is considering.
SLAM HS Hoops confirmed that the Tarheels are among the four programs remaining on Dybantsa’s list. The other schools in contention are Alabama, BYU, and Kansas. It hasn’t been confirmed when the Brockton, Massachusetts native will make his final decision, but it’s safe to say that a commitment to UNC would be a massive boost to Hubert Davis’ program.
AJ Dybantsa is a 6’9 “, 200 lb small forward who is considered a generational talent by many scouts. A senior at Utah Prep, Dybantsa was named Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season. He has already been compared to NBA legends like Paul George, Kevin Durant, and even Kobe Bryant.
In addition to his talent, Dybantsa’s confidence and mentality make him a perfect fit in Chapel Hill. The number one recruit in the country has already claimed he’s a better prospect than Duke star Cooper Flagg. That statement would already give Dybantsa a hero’s welcome if he were to commit to the Tarheels. However, Hubert Davis must continue to prove that his program is on the rise to get this major commitment.
Davis’ tenure in Chapel Hill has had some terrific highs and perplexing lows. UNC made the national championship game in its head coach’s first year as an eight seed. After that success, the Tarheels then became the first team ever to be preseason ranked No. 1 and miss the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina basketball made its return to the “Big Dance” in 2024. However, the Tarheels’ run ended abruptly against Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen.
UNC entered this year ranked ninth in the country, with first-team All-American guard RJ Davis returning. Despite the high expectations, the Tarheels are 4-4 this year and currently riding a three-game losing streak. Hubert Davis understands that this slow start is not living up to the UNC standard. The main weakness so far has been North Carolina basketball’s defense, which has given up around 90 points in all its losses.
This program needs to bounce back and will have plenty of opportunities in the future. The ACC is wide open this year with no definitive frontrunner as UNC and Duke already have multiple losses. There’s still time for North Carolina basketball to become the team it was projected to be in the preseason.
Overall, Dybantsa’s interest is still one of the various reasons why it’s way too early to give up on Hubert Davis’ ability to turn around his alma mater. However, if the losses keep piling up, the hot seat rumors will only continue to gain more traction.
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