While Michael Malone and North Carolina have been laser-focused on building a roster for this season, they are also starting to look ahead.
Five-star center Paul Osaruyi picked up a UNC offer on Monday and is planning a visit to Chapel Hill in the near future, according to DraftExpress. Osaruyi is rated the No. 1 center in the 2027 class by 247Sports. He also holds offers from a long list of high-major programs, including Arkansas, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas, UCLA, USC, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
With a 7-foot-2 wingspan plus vertical pop and agility, Osaruyi is a high-level athlete who lives above the rim and controls the paint at both ends. His ability to finish with force in transition, out of the dunker spot or as a hard-rolling screener separates him from most bigs and makes him an ideal fit for Malone’s offense.
The 6-foot-10, 220-pound Toronto native averaged 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds at the Chipotle Nationals earlier this month, leading CIA Bella Vista to the title. He made 18 of 34 two-point attempts for a 52.9% clip. Osaruyi also averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks for Arizona Unity at Nike EYBL Session 1 last year.
