As of April 8, 2025, the University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball program has faced significant challenges in its recruiting efforts, notably losing top prospects to other major programs. In December 2024, AJ Dybantsa, a five-star forward from Utah Prep and the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) over UNC, Alabama, and Kansas. Reports indicate that Dybantsa had signed with BYU during the early signing period in November, prior to his father’s attendance at a UNC game in early December
Earlier, in September 2024, the Tar Heels also missed out on five-star guard Jasper Johnson from Overtime Elite in Georgia. Johnson, ranked No. 10 overall in the 2025 class, chose to stay in his hometown by committing to the University of Kentucky, selecting the Wildcats over UNC and other finalists
These recruiting setbacks have left UNC’s 2025 recruiting class without any commitments from top-tier prospects. Despite efforts by head coach Hubert Davis and his staff, the program has struggled to secure commitments from highly ranked recruits in this cycle.
In addition to recruiting challenges, the Tar Heels have experienced on-court difficulties. In February 2025, following a 20-point loss to Clemson, Coach Davis expressed his disappointment regarding the team’s lack of urgency, stating, “That’s the type of mindset that you have to have in your preparation, practice and play every day… And so from that standpoint, just sad”
While these developments have posed challenges for the UNC basketball program, Coach Davis and his staff remain committed to addressing these issues and improving both their recruiting outcomes and on-court performance.
