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Duke outranks UNC in 247Sportsā 2026 basketball recruiting rankings by alarmingly wide margin for Mike Malone
TL;DR
Duke leads UNC in 247Sports' 2026 basketball recruiting rankings, with four players in the top 100 compared to UNC's two. Coach Mike Malone faces challenges in elevating the Tar Heels' recruiting efforts.
Key points
- Duke outranks UNC in 2026 basketball recruiting rankings
- Duke has four players in the top 100, UNC has two
- Mike Malone is the new head coach for UNC
- UNC is trying to improve recruiting efforts
- Duke is projected to be the top team in the ACC
Mentioned in this story
Mike Malone
Duke Blue DevilsNorth Carolina Tar HeelsACC
Duke outranks UNC in 247Sportsā 2026 basketball recruiting rankings by alarmingly wide margin for Mike Malone originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The North Carolina Tar Heels hired 2023 NBA Champion head coach Mike Malone to pick up the ball that Hubert Davis dropped during his five seasons in Chapel Hill. Unfortunately, Malone has not been able to pick up the slack enough to contend with the Tobacco Road rival Duke Blue Devils. Jon Scheyer, hired a year after Davis, though far more accomplished, has built a sizable lead in the 2026 class, finishing with four players in 247Sportsā recruiting rankingsā top 100, to UNCās two.
While Malone recently landed four-star wing Kevin Thomas, the Tar Heels still have a long way to go to surpass the Blue Devils during the 2026-27 season. NC State Wolfpack guard Matt Able, Virginia Tech Hokies wing Neoklis Avdalas, Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown, and Northwestern Wildcats forward Cade Bennerman make up a strong start via the portal, while unsigned players like Mayfair (CA) guard Josiah Johnson (No. 57), SPIRE Academy (OH) wing Alex Constanza, and North Shore (TX) wing Christian Gibson could provide a late-cycle boost.
Q&A
How does Duke's 2026 recruiting class compare to UNC's?
Duke has four players ranked in the top 100 of the 2026 recruiting class, while UNC has only two.
Who is the head coach for UNC's basketball team?
Mike Malone is the head coach for the UNC basketball team, having been hired to improve the program's performance.
What challenges does Mike Malone face at UNC?
Malone needs to significantly enhance the recruiting culture at UNC to compete with Duke, which is currently the projected top team in the ACC.