Highly-touted class of 2023 basketball signee Simeon Wilcher has requested a release from his national letter of intent and will not attend UNC, Inside Carolina reported on Tuesday.

“After careful consideration, I’d decided to ask North Carolina for a release from my national letter of intent,” read a statement from the Wilcher family to Inside Carolina. “We will not be commenting further and thank UNC for the opportunity to play in the ACC.”

Wilcher was the top-rated signing in Carolina’s 2023 recruiting class. 247 Sports ranked Wilcher as a four-star recruit, the No. 34 overall player in the class and the No. 7 combo guard. A longtime Tar Heel pledge, the 6-4 prospect from Roselle, N.J. originally committed to UNC over offers from schools such as Kansas, Ohio State and Connecticut in October of 2021. He has not yet announced a commitment to another school.

Wilcher’s likely decommitment comes just a week after another highly-touted guard, Elliot Cadeau, announced his decision to reclassify into the 2023 class and join the Tar Heels next season as a freshman. Wilcher’s apparent departure leaves Carolina with guards Cadeau, senior R.J. Davis and sophomore Seth Trimble, plus fifth-year senior Cormac Ryan, junior Harrison Ingram, fifth-year senior Paxson Wojcik and redshirt senior Jae’Lyn Withers as wings. Presently, forward Zayden High and Cadeau are UNC’s only incoming true freshmen.

While there are many new faces coming into Chapel Hill, Wilcher’s decision represents the latest chapter in a tumultuous offseason. After becoming the first team ranked No. 1 in the preseason to miss the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels have seen seven players from the 2022-23 roster enter the transfer portal. The team also saw Leaky Black and Pete Nance exhaust their eligibility, opening up two additional scholarship spots.

With all the movement, UNC is left with three available roster spots ahead of the 2023-24 season as of Tuesday.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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