NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 12 teams in play for 5-star CG Hunter Sallis

As dreadful as last season was for the Tar Heels, including tying for last place in the ACC and spoiling Cole Anthony’s one and only season with the program, it doesn’t change the fact that this is one of the premier destinations in all of college basketball.

The team should be much better next season (can’t be any worse), thanks to a No. 2 incoming recruiting class that features five-star point guard Caleb Love, and multiple top-tier big men. They won’t be relying on mid-major transfers on the perimeter but will still be fairly young, with Kerwin Walton and RJ Davis also having sizeable roles as freshmen.

Assuming that Love is “one and done” Sallis could be the next starting point guard for UNC unless Davis shows enough to warrant that role. There currently isn’t a clear-cut starting two-guard in the lineup right now, which would be the same situation for 2021-22. A commitment from Sallis would solve that issue and create the balance needed to get back into ACC title and Final Four contention.

With Duke not in the running this time around, this is a major opportunity for the Tar Heels to land another five-star recruit and a top guard at that. With top-100 shooting guard and local target D’Marco Dunn potentially joining the 2021 class as well, Sallis would help solidify the backcourt in the same way that the frontcourt has been set up.

What separates North Carolina from Kentucky is that Sallis won’t be pressured to excel in his freshman year or risk being over-recruited by other five-star prospects. He can have a four-year career with the Tar Heels if he wants and have a great legacy. And with the winning likely to follow, there are just few drawbacks for him in picking the Tar Heels.