Tar Heels Getting Spurned by Coveted Five-Star Recruit

The North Carolina Tar Heels will need to identify three new contributors for the upcoming season following the departures of Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan, and Harrison Ingram to the NBA. This task shouldn’t be too challenging since the Tar Heels didn’t experience many players leaving for the transfer portal, unlike their traditional rival, the Duke Blue Devils.

Nevertheless, head coach Hubert Davis is taking steps to ensure that his basketball program is not only prepared for this season but also for the future. Looking ahead, UNC is actively pursuing commitments for its 2025 recruiting class.

So far, the Tar Heels have extended offers to several top prospects in the 2025 class, including AJ Dybansta, Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, and Bryson Tiller. However, there is a player who may be losing interest in the Tar Heels and considering other options.

Tar Heels Rumors: UNC Potentially Falling Out of Contention for Darryn Patterson

The highly-rated player from Huntingdon Prep was offered a spot by the Tar Heels in April 2023, but there hasn’t been much news about it until now.

Rob Cassidy from Rivals.com shared his thoughts on where Patterson might attend college after finishing high school. He ranks North Carolina as the fifth-best option for the No. 3 prospect on the 2025 Rivals150.

Cassidy notes that there seems to be a growing distance between North Carolina and the four programs ranked ahead of it. There’s been less talk connecting the Tar Heels and Patterson recently, and plans for a possible visit have faded. However, if Patterson’s interest in North Carolina is revived and he ends up visiting their campus, the program could quickly rise in the rankings.

According to 247Sports.com, the 6-foot-5 combo guard has only visited the Kansas Jayhawks on Jun. 23 and is scheduled to visit Ohio State on Aug. 1. Patterson doesn’t have visits planned with three other schools on his list – Arkansas, Baylor, and UNC.

If you’re Hubert Davis, this presents a challenge because Bill Self is known for his strong recruiting abilities, and Arkansas now has John Calipari, who consistently helps players make it to the NBA, and that trend is likely to continue with the Razorbacks.

However, it’s still summer, and high school basketball hasn’t started nationwide. There’s still an opportunity for the Tar Heels to re-enter the competition for the highly-rated recruit, but the first step is arranging an official visit to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.