The 2026-27 college basketball season is less than a month from getting underway. While college programs are looking forward to getting on the court for real, coaching staffs are looking to add for the future. Here is a look at the latest recruiting news.
After getting off to a late start to recruiting in 2026, UNC head coach Michael Malone is determined to change that in 20027. The Tar Heels have yet to secure a commitment for the 2027 class. However, the Heels are reportedly in the mix for several top prospects, including 5-star recruits Demarcus Henry, Asa Montgomery, and AJ Williams.
Demarcus Henry Talks Recruiting
Henry is the consensus No. 3 player in the 2027 class heading into the 2026-27 season. Henry, from Charlotte (NC), is a 6-7 wing currently at AZ Compass Prep (Arizona) after transferring from Mater Dei (California) High School following the 2024-25 school year.
Henry, the son of former NFL wide receiver Chris Henry, is an elite, lengthy athlete with high two-way upside and an outstanding rebounder. Henry also is a good shooter and has shown improvement as a creator and scorer off the dribble. He averaged 19.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals while shooting 51.2% from the field for Vegas Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer.
“Henry is a big lefty wing who combines physical tools with an ascending skill-set,” 247 Sports director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein said in his scouting report. “Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and an increasingly strong frame that should really blow up in the coming years, he has terrific measurables.
“He’s also a smooth natural mover who covers the court effortlessly and can slide his feet,” Finkelstein continued. “He has shown good natural touch since he was younger and clean shooting mechanics when he’s in rhythm. So, while there have been glaring two-way tools for years, Henry is now starting to put them all together and turn them into consistent production.”
Henry holds at least 27 offers, though he narrowed his list down to eight schools last week. UNC was one of the schools that made the cut along with Kentucky, Arkansas, BYU, Kansas, Louisville, Ohio State, and UConn. He has taken six visits thus far, including four recent official trips to Louisville, UConn, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
Henry told Rivals’ Jaime Shaw that he will visit North Carolina, potentially BYU, and Ohio State.
“I’m starting to get to know Coach (Michael) Malone, who is coming from the NBA,” Henry said, talking about UNC. “He’s a great coach, and he talks to me about NBA-style basketball, which I like. They’ve been recruiting me hard for a long time, so that means a lot.”
Henry also told Shaw that he plans on making a decision by October 30, his birthday: “Really, the biggest factor in this decision for me is development. That’s what I’m really big on.”
Asa Montgomery Talks UNC Recruitment Among Others
Like Henry, Montgomery is one of the top players in the 2027 class. Montgomery is a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 8 prospect in the country, with a wide-ranging net. The 6-7 wing is ranked third in class by Rivals, fifth by ESPN and 14th by 247Sports. He attends Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.
Montgomery is a lengthy, explosive combo forward who is an outstanding rebounder and defender with the ability to guard all five positions. Montgomery is a good scorer who is willing to do the little things. He spent this summer helping the USA U17 team win a World Cup gold medal, during which he showcased his two-way ability. In seven World Cup games, he averaged 9.0 points on 67% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
“We saw Montgomery in two very different contexts this summer. In the EYCL, he was a volume scorer with the ultimate green light,” Finklestein said in his scouting report. “With USA Basketball, though, he bought into being a role-playing four. He provided energy, offensive rebounding, cutting, defensive versatility, and playmaking within their full-court pressure, even though he was surprisingly reluctant to shoot at times.”
“At 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and naturally broader frame, he’s best described as a combo-forward who is transitioning from more of a stretch-four into a bigger wing,” Finklestein continued. “He’s an explosive vertical athlete off two feet who has a good sense of timing, both in transition and as a cutter. He’s not necessarily a dynamic creator with the ball in his hands, but he’s a consistent shooting threat who can pick-and-pop, attack close-outs, play out of the mid-post, and go to the offensive glass. He has good instincts on both ends of the floor and a nose for the ball defensively.”
Montgomery holds at least 25 offers and has made eight official visits and one unofficial visit (Georgia). North Carolina was one of the programs to receive an official visit, along with Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, UConn, Duke, LSU, and Arizona.
What I really learned about on the visit was their new play style with the new coach, Michael Malone,” Montgomery said about UNC. “He’s an NBA champion, and it was good to meet him and get to know him and the rest of the staff. You know, I mean, it’s Carolina. It’s a historic program, so just being able to see all the all-time greats who came through there was special.”
AJ Williams Plans on Visiting Carolina
Williams is the consensus fourth-rated prospect in the class of 2027 after reclassifying from 2028. Williams is a 6-6 wing who is from Stockbridge (Georgia) and attends Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA). He compiled 20.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 threes while playing for Team CP3 on Nike’s EYBL Circuit. Williams is a high-upside versatile wing who is a three-level scorer. Williams is an outstanding shooter with smooth shooting mechanics. He is also a strong rebounder.
“I feel like I’m very versatile,” Williams told Rivals. “I do a little bit of everything. I’m not really one to be put in a box, so whatever this team needs me to do, that’s what I can do.”
Williams holds at least 27 scholarship offers and has made six visits, three unofficial and three official. Williams has made two visits to Auburn (unofficial and official), Mississippi State (official), Georgia Tech (unofficial), Georgia (official) and Duke (unofficial). He will visit BYU on October 15 and said that he plans to visit UNC and Arkansas.
“I definitely plan on scheduling a visit soon,” Williams told Shaw. “I really like Michael Malone. They have a good roster this year, and I think they’ll be really successful. He likes that I can do multiple things.”
“The biggest thing he talks about is rebounding,” Williams continued. Not too many guards rebound, and he says I take pride in that.”
The Last Word on UNC in the Mix for 3-Five Star Recruits
North Carolina has 14 players on its 2026-27 roster, which includes four seniors. However, grad transfer Angelo Brizzi is the only player who will be out of eligibility following the season. Thus, the Tar Heels will have at least two scholarships available for 2027.
Malone has officially offered nine players from the class of 2027. In addition to Henry, Montgomery and Williams, Malone has offers out to:
6-10 center Paul Osaruyi — Scottsdale, AZ; consensus 4-star and No. 20 player in 2027
6-3 point guard Jalen Davis — Bremerton, WA; consensus 4-star and No. 18 player in 2027
6-5 guard Adan Diggs — Peoria, AZ; consensus 5-star and No. 5 player in 2027
6-10 power forward CJ Rosser — Rocky Mount, NC; consensus 5-star and No. 2 player in 2027
6-3 point guard Nazir Anderson — Savannah, GA; consensus 5-star and No. 10 player in 2027
6-3 point guard Beckham Black — Duncanville, TX; consensus No. 1 player in 2027
While it appears UNC is currently behind the eight-ball with Williams and Montgomery, there is still plenty of time for those two to be serious contenders; the Tar Heels are right in the mix for Henry. However, Rosser, Anderson and Henry are believed to be at the top of Malone’s priority list.
