UNC Basketball is one of the best programs in the country because they get some of the top high school talent.
North Carolina has had plenty of success on the court over college basketball history. The Tar Heels have also had several great coaches, including the recently retired HOF’er Roy Williams, but they also have had a lot of talent — not only the in-terms of those that the Heels developed but also whom they recruited. Here is a look at UNC’s top high school recruits since the mid-2000s.
10 T. Brandan Wright
The 6-9 forward spent only one season at UNC, but it was a highly productive year. Wright earned All-ACC honors, ACC ROY, and ACC MVP during the 2006-07 season after averaging 14.7 points to go along with 6.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He shot 64.7% from the field and earned 7.6 win shares. The Nashville (TN) native led the conference in 2-point field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, and win shares. Wright also ranked second in the ACC in field goal makes, ninth in total points, 11th in rebounds, and second in true shooting percentage.
Wright was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the No. 8 overall pick in 2007. He played for several teams, starting with Golden State, until 2018.
10 T. Reggie Bullock
The 6-7 guard, ranked as the No. 15 RSCI recruit in 2010, was a “3-and-D” guy who improved each year he was a Tar Heel. Bullock averaged 9.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 3-pointers, and 1.7 assists while shooting 51.7% from the field and 38.7% from the 3-point line for a 55.5% eFG. He recorded a 19.5 PER, 10.8 win shares, and an 8.8 BPM.
Bullock was nabbed with the No. 25 pick in 2013 by the Los Angeles Clippers. He has played for the Clippers, Detroit, Phoenix, and New York Knicks. Bullock is currently with the Dallas Mavericks.
9. Joel Berry
The two-time All-ACC selection –the No. 25 RSCI recruit in 2014– showed up big time when the spotlight was on, earning ACC Tourney MVP in 2016 as well as NCAA Tournament MOP honors (2017). The 6-foot guard averaged 12.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds a contest while registering a 51.1% eFG. He also posted an 18.1 PER and 16.9 win shares. Berry ranks 20th in the ACC in career 3-pointers (266) and sixth in offensive rating.
Berry, who went undrafted in 2018, recently retired from basketball (Aug. 24).
8. Harrison Barnes
The No. 1 rated RSCI recruit made an indelible impact with the Tar Heels despite only spending two seasons in Chapel Hill. Barnes, a two-time All-ACC selection, and the 2011 ACC ROY tallied 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds along with 1.3 assists while shooting 43% from the field and 34.9% from long-distance for his career. He registered a PER of 20.3 and 9.3 win shares.
Barnes was taken with the No. 7 draft pick in the 2012 draft by the Golden State Warriors. He spent four years in the Bay Area before spending two-and-one-half years with Dallas. Barnes is currently with Sacramento, where he has been since Feb. 6, 2019.
7. John Henson
The 2-time All-ACC selection, as well as 2-time ACC-DPOY, was the No. 5 RSCI recruit in 2005. He compiled 10.1 points. 8.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists while recording a 50% eFG. Henson also posted a 23.3 PER and 10.7 win shares while spending four campaigns at UNC.
The 6-9 forward was the No. 14 pick in the 2012 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, for whom he played seven years. Henson also for Cleveland and Detroit from 2018-2020.
6. Tyler Zeller
The 7-0 center, who was the No. 18 RSCI recruit in 2008, was part of the Heels 2009 national championship squad, although his role was very small that year. Zeller was a consensus All-American and ACC POY in 2012. He compiled 12.7 points and 6.7 caroms along with 15.5 win-shares and ranked fourth in ACC history in Box Plus/Minus (+10.2).
Zeller was drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in 2012 by the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his first two seasons in Cleveland and then moved around the league before the San Antonio Spurs released him on Dec. 19, 2020.
5. Brice Johnson
The 6-8 forward, the RSCI No. 40 recruit in 2012, was a two-time consensus All-American. Johnson averaged 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds while shooting 57.5% from the field. He also recorded a 28.1 PER, which is the third-highest in ACC history, and 17.2 win shares. The South Carolina native also ranks in the top-10 all-time in the conference in field goal percentage (7th), two-point field goals (4th), offensive rebounds (6th), defensive rebounds (3rd), and offensive rating (4th).
Johnson was drafted with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2016 draft.
4. Marcus Paige
The No. 28 RSCI recruit in 2012 was phenomenal on the offensive end for the Tar Heels. Paige, who also played well when the lights shined the most, compiled 13.1 points along with 4.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds for his career. He also registered a 50.9% eFG along with a 17.8 PER and 17.3 win shares, which ranks second all-time in the ACC, as well as +7.7 BPM. The Iowa native also ranks 11th in the conference in 3-pointers, 19th in assists, second in total points produced as well as ninth in offensive rating.
Paige was drafted with the 55th overall pick in 2016. He spent the 2016-17 campaign in the G-League as well as part of the 2017-18 season there while also getting a cup of coffee with the Charlotte Hornets. Paige played with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.
3. Ty Lawson
The 2006 RSCI No. 6 recruit earned All-American and ACC POY honors while helping the Tar Heels, along with Tyler Hansbrough, to the national title in 2008-09. The 5-11 point guard averaged 13.1 points, 5.8 dimes, and 2.8 rebounds to go along with a 57.9% eFG. He also garnered 15.7 win shares.
Lawson was the No. 18 pick in the 2009 draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played his first six seasons with the Denver Nuggets before heading to Houston, Indiana, and Sacramento. Lawson played for Kolossos Rodou in Greece this past season.
2. Justin Jackson
The 6-8 forward earned All-American and 2016-17 ACC POY helped lead UNC to the national title in 2016-17. He compiled 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists with a 52.9% eFG while earning 14.2 wins shares. Jackson, who rated as the No.9 player RSCI in 2014, also recorded a PER of 19.5 and +8.4 BPM.
Jackson was the No. 15 overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015. He played one-and-a-half years each for Sacramento and Dallas. He spent last year with Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.
1. Tyler Hansbrough
Psycho T, who was the No. 4 RSCI player in 2005, is one of the most highly decorated players in college basketball history. The four-time All-American selection earned several POY honors in 2007-08, including the Wooden and Naismith Award. He was also the ACC ROY in2005-06. Hansbrough, who led the Tar Heels to a national title in 2008-09, averaged 20.2 points along with 8.6 rebounds while earning 28.5 win shares.
Hansbrough was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft. He spent four seasons with the Pacers before playing for Toronto (two years) and Charlotte (one). Psycho T also spent time in the G-League as well as overseas, with 2020 being his last pro season.