Will the Tar Heels land this Top-10 basketball recruit?
As we get deeper into the college basketball offseason, UNC continues to garner good news on the recruiting trail. This time, the good news in question concerns North Carolina’s ever-growing 2026 recruiting class.
The 247Sports recruiting rankings have 5-star small forward Anthony Thompson, who plays his high school ball at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, as the class of 2026’s ninth-ranked overall prospect, third-ranked SF and Ohio’s top-ranked player. Thompson is one of the Tar Heels’ 14 offers in their 2026 class – and would fill a massive need at wing next year, especially with no guarantee Luka Bogavac returns.
Thompson previously included UNC amongst his final 15 schools, but recently narrowed down that figure further. On Thursday, Thompson’s agent Nate Conley reported that UNC is now one of Thompson’s final seven choices.
North Carolina will have to compete for Thompson’s commitment with Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue and Texas.
“They are another very storied program, a blue blood program,” Thompson recently told Rivals. “Coach (Hubert) Davis has been preaching how big of a priority I am for them, too.”
Wing was a strength for the Tar Heels last season, thanks to the lockdown defense of hometown kid Drake Powell. When Powell declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and later got selected 22nd overall, wing suddenly became a need for UNC.
North Carolina is making wing a priority in its 2026 recruiting class, also offering Qayden Samuels, Tajh Ariza, Cole Cloer and Cameron Holmes. If the Tar Heels can land a commitment from Thompson, though, they can start addressing other needs for their 2026-2027 roster.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.