UNC Basketball: Analyzing transfer targets Adou Thiero and Cliff Omoruyi

UNC Basketball transfer target - Cliff Omoruyi

One of the early top portal players was Omoruyi, a 6’11 center from Rutgers. He started the past three seasons, coming off averaging 10.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg. More importantly, the senior big man is one of the best shot-blockers in the country, averaging nearly three a game.

Omoruyi is one of the best interior defenders in the sport and is a quality starting option for teams looking for centers. He’s nearly perfect for the Tar Heels, who have been looking for a replacement for Armando Bacot. While Omoruyi isn’t as much of an offensive threat, he’s a definite upgrade on the defensive end and is a good rebounder in his own right. Assuming Davis is back, they won’t need much scoring from the five-spot anyway.

Over a week ago, Omoruyi had a list of 12 options. But his actions suggest a much smaller cut of four teams. He’s visited the likes of Kansas State, Alabama, Georgetown, and soon, North Carolina. On paper, this could come down to UNC vs Bama once again, as both teams are looking for an interior defender to balance out their elite respective offenses.

The recent news of Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo picking Arkansas has upped the urgency in this particular recruitment. The list of quality centers is starting to decline, leaving the loser of this battle forced to scramble to another target. A case can be made that Omoruyi is the most important guy in the transfer portal for them to go after.