With three commitments already locked up for the 2014 class, the North Carolina men’s basketball staff has begun to ramp up their efforts on the 2015 recruiting trail.
On Thursday night, Roy Williams extended a scholarship offer to 7-foot center Stephen Zimmerman out of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.).
The offer came a day after Williams had seen Zimmerman work out at Bishop Gorman.
Williams and the Tar Heels’ staff had also been keeping tabs on Zimmerman throughout the summer recruiting period, watching him play in tournaments in Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Las Vegas.
Zimmerman is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 2015 class in the 247Sports Composite rankings (an industry average of rankings by national scouting services).
An interesting storyline could emerge with Zimmerman and Bishop Gorman, as his teammate Chase Jeter, a 6-foot-9 power forward, has also attracted attention from the UNC staff. It remains to be seen whether Jeter will receive a North Carolina offer.
SCOUTING REPORT
Zimmerman has an extremely rare skill set for a player of his size. On top of his ability to play in the post and run the floor, Zimmerman is an extremely savvy passer and a very able shooter out to the three-point line.
Although he possesses a very slender frame, Zimmerman can hold his own on the boards because of his length and good sense of positioning. At the same time, he has been bullied somewhat on the post by stronger, more physical big men.
2015 RECRUITING OUTLOOK
Zimmerman is the sixth player to be offered by UNC in the 2015 class, and the second big man.
Based on the roster projection for the 2015-16 season, the Tar Heels will be looking to bring in a post player and a high-level wing shooter.
The first big man to receive an offer was 6-foot-10 Dominican (Milwaukee, Wisc.)center Diamond Stone.
On the wing, offers are out to 6-foot-7 Brandon Ingram (Kinston), 6-foot-5 Luke Kennard (Franklin; Franklin, Ohio) and 6-foot-3 Malik Newman (Callaway; Jackson, Miss.).
6-foot-5 combo guard P.J. Dozier (Spring Valley; Columbia, S.C.) also holds a UNC offer.
A full 2015 recruiting guide will be released on Monday and will reflect the Zimmerman offer.
On a related note, be sure to check out our 2014 Basketball Recruiting Guide.
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