The state of North Carolina has been known as a basketball hotbed. Between UNC (6), Duke (5) and NC State (2), the state of North Carolina has three universities to capture 13 NCAA Men’s National Championships. In addition, UNC and Duke have captured six NCAA National Championships since 2000. The state is now the ninth most populated state in the country and basketball is at a fever pitch. Year in year out, the state is producing collegiate prospects at every level and also a record level.
If you look at the 2018 class, the state produced over 100 collegiate players (D1, D2, and D3) with a record number 60 plus going to the D1 level. To put it simply, North Carolina is a recruiting paradise for schools all across the country. One may ask, why are so many players leaving the state' Let’s just take a look at the North Carolina 2018 class. 16 players from North Carolina left the general area, not including adjoining states like Virginia and South Carolina. Below is list of ranked players in our final North Carolina 2018 class.
No. 2 Devon Dotson (Kansas) No. 6 Aaron Wiggins (Maryland), No. 8 Jarius Hamilton (Boston College), No. 10 Audiese Toney (Pitt), No. 12 Kris Monroe (Providence), No. 13 Nate Hinton (Houston), No. 15 Trey Wertz (Santa Clara), No. 16 Jamarius Burton (Wichita State), No. 20 Elijah McCadden (Georgia Southern), No. 21 Will Dillard (Georgia Southern), No. 24 Trey Murphy (Rice), No. 30 Qon Murphy (Houston Baptist), No. 32 Jomaru Brown (Eastern Kentucky), No. 33 KC Hankton (St. Louis), No. 36 Isaac Suffren (Lafayette) and No. 40 Marque Maultsby (New Hampshire)
The 2019 class is also locked and loaded with tremendous talent. Just recently, one the state’s hottest prospects Caleb Mills committed on his official visit to the University of Houston. This make makes two years in a row that Houston has gained the commitment of top prospects in the state. Last year it was Nate Hinton and now Caleb Mills. To take it a step further, just look at the job Houston Baptist has done in the “Old North State.”
While some people may be alarmed by the trend, we at Phenom Hoop Report thinks it’s not such a bad thing. In economics, you increase your value by expanding your marketability. The more players choose to play out of region, the more college coaches across the country will look to recruit. In the long run, that’s a “win win” for the many collegiate prospects in the state. The more opportunities that are available to young players, the more chances of them being recruited and gaining a scholarship opportunity. You see, North Carolina is a recruiting paradise.