UNC Basketball: Tar Heels replace GG Jackson in 2023 class witrh Zayden High
UNC Basketball has been looking for a power forward to add to the 2023 class and despite coming in late, they landed one in four-star Zayden High.
It’s been well known this offseason the saga of GG Jackson, who at one point was committed to UNC Basketball in the 2023 recruiting class. However, the five-star power forward prospect opted to play for his mother’s alma mater and stay home at South Carolina. In fact, he reclassified to be eligible this upcoming season for the Gamecocks.
That meant the Tar Heels were without a power forward in the 2023 class, a position of need for them. Northwestern transfer and projected starter Pete Nance is only around for just one year so the hope was that Jackson would stick around and be the focal point of the offense, knowing that star big man Armando Bacot also likely won’t be around a year from now.
The team quickly pivoted to some of the top options remaining in the class and one emerged in Zayden High, a consensus four-star and top-75 talent in the class. He’s a 6’9 versatile offensive player, capable of scoring from the perimeter, and is highly skilled. His potential became very appealing to the top programs in the country.
Last week, High had a final list of five teams, including North Carolina. Heavy hitters such as Michigan, Texas, Villanova, and Arkansas were also involved, but the ACC program won out in the end.
Zayden High committing to #UNC 🐏 @zayy23den pic.twitter.com/xXYC2qMVtg
— tarheelupdate (@tarheelupdate) October 16, 2022
High becomes the second current commitment in the 2023 class, joining five-star guard/forward Simeon Wilcher. He’s part of a future frontcourt nucleus that includes four-star freshman Jalen Washington along with Dontrez Styles, Puff Johnson, and Will Shaver.
The newest commit should be in a good position to get minutes early and he’s a good fit for head coach Hubert Davis and how he likes to have a four-out offense and spread the floor. High is one of the best frontcourt players that can accomplish that so in a way, he’s a great fit for the program.
Next. Preseason top-25 power rankings for 2022-23. dark
An argument can still be made that the Tar Heels would prefer to have Jackson and the ceiling he offers but having 3-4 years of Zayden High will be just as beneficial for the program long-term. The team has two quality commits and should look for a ball-handler to round out the class.