Tracking Carolina Basketball's New Offers (2024)

North Carolina's recruitment of Nate Ament began last fall when Jeff Lebo took a visit to Warrenton (Va.) Highland School. During the John Wall Invitational in December, Hubert Davis and assistant coach Brad Frederick saw standout performances from the 6-foot-9 forward. And this past weekend with his Team Load adidas 3SSB team, Ament was again a standout in front of Davis and, this time, assistant coach Sean May.

He's ranked the No. 13 player in the rising senior class, and holds offers from Creighton, Duke, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn Sttate, Pittsburgh, Providence, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.

“A 6-foot-9 stretch four-man out of Warrenton (Va.) Ament has been lethal from behind the arc as he fits the current climate of basketball at his position. He can drain trail threes, hit long-range bombs off a rhythm dribble, and is comfortable shooting over defenders in any setting. Ament has also shown a great level of activity on the defensive end. He takes full advantage of his size and has looked to make plays in the passing lanes. His youth comes to light when looking at him physically but he combines translatable production with a very high ceiling.” - 247Sports' Brandon Jenkins this weekend at 3SSB

A 6-foot-6forward at Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange High School, Cole Cloer is ranked the No. 18 overall player in the class of 2026 and No. 1 in North Carolina by 247Sports. He holds offers from Georgetown, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi State, NC State, Tennessee, VCU, and Wake Forest.

During the spring's only evaluation period, multiple North Carolina coaches - Hubert Davis and assistants Jeff Lebo and Brad Frederick - watched Cloer and Team CP3 16U on multiple occasions. Starring alongside Reidsville (N.C.) High School's dynamic duo of Dionte Neal and Kendre Harrison, Team CP3 is arguably the best team in the 16U division. In six games this EYBL season, Cloer is averaging 16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, and one block while shooting 46.2% 3pt (12-26) and 82.1% FT (23-28).

"I definitely noticed them (the UNC coaching staff) at my games, but I try not to pay too much attention to it," Cloer said. "Being a kid it's what you always wanted, them showing their faces. North Carolina has really done a good job of watching me and being engaged. It shows they're really interested when they bring a bunch of different coaches, it's not just one coach."

A standout at Studio City (Calif.) Harvard-Westlake, Nik Khamenia is a 6-foot-8 forward who started hearing from UNC in January. He holds offers from Gonzaga, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, St. John's, Stanford, UCLA, and UNLV.

"(Khamenia) has emerged as one of the top power forward prospects out West and nationally," said 247Sports national recruiting director Eric Bossi. "He plays a game that is built around skill, toughness, and competitive fire. Offensively, he is a capable jump shooter with range to the three-point line. He loves to operate in the high post where he can make jumpers, attack off the dribble or do a nice job of finding cutters with crisp passes."

Khamenia plays on the Puma circuit, so North Carolina didn't get a chance to see him this past weekend. However, there's one trait above all that nearly every analyst loves about Khamenia.

"(He) competes and impacts winning," said Harvard-Westlake head coach Dave Rebibo. "He's infectious. His energy, his desire to make the right play... (he) just impacts winning constantly. He’s an incredible kid, great student, and has high intellect, high character, and is an incredible worker and student of the game."

A 6-3 guard from Washington, D.C., Derek Dixon plays with Team Takeover on Nike's EYBL circuit. The UNC staff had eyes on him multiple times over the weekend. In 10 games this EYBL season, Dixon is averaging 16 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting a sizzling 60.4 percentfrom the field (58-96), 57.5 percent (23-40) on three-pointers and 87.5 percent (21-24) from the free throw line.

"Dixon ... showed off his three-point shooting against Team CP3 and continues to standout with his overall combination of basketball IQ and instinctive feel for the game," 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote over the weekend.

He holds offers from Iowa, Kansas State, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Xavier. Earlier this year, he took official visits to Virginia and Pittsburgh.

Starring for Indiana Elite on adidas' 3SSB circuit, Malachi Moreno is a 6-11 (self-reported 7-1) forward/center from Georgetown (Ky.) Great Crossing High School.

The Tar Heels' interest first started last summer whenthe coaches watched him with Indiana Elite on adidas' 3SSB grassroots circuit. There wasn't much communication between UNC and Moreno until the days immediately after Christmas at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. UNC assistant Sean May, who is leading Carolina's pursuit of Moreno, watched all three of Great Crossing's games. In them, Moreno recorded the third-most rebounds in Beach Ball Classic history (54), including a dominant 24-point, 25-rebound performance in a three-point Great Crossing loss in the tournament's championship game. Three weeks later, Moreno had his first conversation with May.

In Texas this past weekend, May and Hubert Davis watched as Moreno posted 10points (4-6 FG), 8 rebounds, and three blocks.

"Moreno is a true big who is still in a raw stage of his development but has improved drastically since watching him this time last year," said 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Brandon Jenkins. "He has great size and stays true to getting up the floor, setting screens, and scoring around the basket. His touch has improved but still has ways to goin that area of his game. All the signs point towards him being an impact big man who will progress each year at the collegiate level."

He holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Creighton, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Missouri, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Providence, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC, and Virginia Tech. He took an official visit to Iowa in October 2023, and has taken unofficial trips to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Arkansas, among others.

A 6-5 guard from Greenfield (Ind.) Central High School, Braylon Mullins is a teammate of Moreno on Indiana Elite's 17U adidas 3SSB team. He holds offers from Butler, Cincinnatti, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Purdue. He's also receiving interest from UConn, Alabama, and Tennessee.

In 13 games this 3SSB season, Mullins is averaging 19.6 points (51.4 FG%, 44% 3pt, and 71 FT%), 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2 steals per game.

247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Brandon Jenkins watched Mullins extensively this past weekend.

"A lethal shot maker from deep with an extremely quick release," Jenkins said. "He is a comfortable movement shooter with great positional size at the two-guard spot. He additionally can get off the floor well, move the ball, and is proven in thriving alongside great talent. Ideal grab for a winning program."