UNC basketball rumors: Another 5-star could join Elliot Cadeau in reclassifying

UNC basketball got a huge recruiting boost with 5-star Elliot Cadeau reclassifying for 2023. He might not be the last star recruit to help the Tar Heels. 

Even with a strong effort in the transfer portal, UNC basketball was still sitting outside of the Top 30 recruiting classes for the 2023 cycle entering Tuesday. That all changed, however, when 2024 5-star point guard Elliot Cadeau reclassified, ultimately boosting the Tar Heels’ class 20 spots in the 247 Composite Rankings to No. 13.

And Hubert Davis might not be stopping there, particularly with the 5-star recruits currently part of the 2024 class.

On Tuesday, the No. 11 player in the 2024 class, 6-foot-10 forward Jarin Stevenson,began his official visit to Chapel Hill, completing a proverbial tour of the schools he’s considering. Per his 247 Sports profile, UNC basketball is one of three programs considered “Warm” for the Pittsboro, NC native along with Virginia and Alabama.

Perhaps more importantly, though, one of the topics of discussion currently on the table as he visits with the Tar Heels is whether or not he could potentially reclassify.

UNC basketball rumors: 5-star Tar Heels target Jarin Stevenson could also reclassify for 2023

Frankly, whether or not Stevenson reclassifies or not, he would still be a massive get for North Carolina. And there’s not exactly a dire need for him after Cadeau joining the 2023 class as the Heels now seemingly have a set rotation, notably with former 5-star Harrison Ingram transferring in to likely start at power forward, where Stevenson would be looking for minutes.

At the same time, though,with Armando Bacot entering his final year of eligibility, getting the 200-pound Stevenson in the building to work and develop might behoove the Tar Heels in helping expedite his development while also helping to address any issues with frontcourt depth for the 2023-24 season.

Should Stevenson not reclassify but still commit to UNC basketball, though, it would be a still highly promising sign for Hubert Davis and Co. as he’d be the fourth 5-star commitment for the Tar Heels in the 2024 class by the 247 Sports rankings, even with Cadeau reclassifying, joining Ian Jackson, Drake Powell and James Brown. He’d be the second-highest ranked recruit in the class too.

After the disappointing 2022-23 season for North Carolina, though, it’s hard to not feel exponentially more confident in the future based on the way recruiting has been trending. Jarin Stevenson could be the next domino to fall in that regard.

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