UNC basketball commit cracks Top 25 rankings on ESPN

As Michael Malone continues to work to put together his first roster with the North Carolina program, he's already made some key additions. The Tar Heels have welcomed back a few players as well as landed players via the transfer portal.

He was also able to keep two recruits from the 2026 class. Both Malloy Smith and Maximo Adams have remained committed to the program as part of the 2026 class, giving Malone a nice foundation in terms of recruiting. With the 2026 cycle wrapping up, ESPN has updated its list of the top 100 players in the class.

For Adams, he checked in at No. 24 overall as a four-star recruit with a grade of 89. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Adams committed to UNC in the fall of 2025 as the first prospect to join the 2026 class for the Tar Heels. He stayed committed despite the coaching change and wants to be a part of this program.

As a program, the Tar Heels' 2026 class ranks No. 19. That includes both Adams and Smith along with international prospect Sayon Keita.

Former commit, Dylan Mingo, ranks No. 10 on the list as he's now committed to Baylor as a five-star recruit.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Maximo Adams cracks top 25 on ESPN player rankings