In three months, North Carolina basketball will be at Allen Fieldhouse to face Kansas in one of the key matchups of the early college basketball season.
Entering early August, it appears the Tar Heels are set with their 2024-25 roster, which includes the return of starters Elliot Cadeau and RJ Davis.
Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin, Belmont transfer Cade Tyson and three freshmen — Drake Powell, Ian Jackson and James Brown — are among the newcomers in Hubert Davis’ fourth season as head coach.
But it’s never too early to look at who’s on the list to join the Tar Heels ahead of the 2025-26 season. Here’s an update on six of UNC’s targets in the 2025 class.
AJ Dybantsa has UNC basketball among seven finalist schools
The No. 1 overall player in the class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, AJ Dybantsa recently narrowed his list to seven schools. On his Instagram page, Dybantsa revealed Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State and UNC as the programs still in the running to land his services. In early August, Auburn was the only visit for the 6-foot-5 forward, who transferred to Utah Prep for his senior season and could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But the Tar Heels are still in the mix.
Jasper Johnson narrowed it down to five schools, including UNC
UNC sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau and freshman forward James Brown went to Link Academy before joining the Tar Heels. Jasper Johnson could be next in line. Listed at No. 10 in the 247Sports Composite, Johnson is a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Kentucky. He took an official visit to Chapel Hill in February and returned for an unofficial visit in late June before narrowing his list to five schools in late July. Alabama, Kentucky and UNC are considered the favorites to sign Johnson.
Niko Bundalo among Tar Heels targets in post
A top-25 recruit in the Class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite, 6-foot-5 forward Niko Bundalo recently narrowed his list to eight schools. In addition to UNC, Michigan State, Kentucky, Ohio State, Pitt, Texas, UConn and Xavier were part of the selection. According to 247Sports, Bundalo is scheduled to visit the Tar Heels in October. The top-ranked player in Ohio, who received a scholarship offer from UNC in late June, also has visits scheduled to UConn, Michigan State and Ohio State.
Acaden Lewis is among UNC’s best guards
One of the top point guards in the Class of 2025, Acaden Lewis has UNC among his final eight schools. Lewis, a D.C. combo guard, visited Chapel Hill in June and is scheduled for an official visit in October. A rising star in his class, Lewis went from being a top-100 prospect in the 247Sports rankings to a top-25 prospect.
Malachi Moreno will visit UNC in September
A 6-foot-2 center, Malachi Moreno is the highest-rated player in Kentucky. Listed among the top 25 recruits in the 2025 class by 247Sports, Moreno, who received an offer from UNC in late May, is scheduled to visit the Tar Heels in mid-September. Moreno is considering seven other programs.
Derek Dixon has Tar Heels on final roster
A four-star combo guard from D.C. similar to Lewis, Derek Dixon has UNC among his last six schools. Fellow ACC programs Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia are also in Dixon’s mix. Listed as a top-60 player in the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-1 guard received a scholarship offer from the Heels in late May. He is expected to make an official visit in September.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared in The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball recruiting: AJ Dybantsa, other targets for Tar Heels
