The UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs have officially inked the newest members of the Tar Heels. Six players signed their national letters of intent recently, solidifying their commitments to play in Chapel Hill. Here’s a look at each one, starting with the foursome playing for head coach Courtney Banghart and the women’s team:
F Ciera Toomey (Dunmore, PA)
Image via Scranton Times-Tribune
The crown jewel of Banghart’s 2023 class, Toomey is ranked as the No. 4 overall player in the class by ESPN. She won Pennsylvania Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season and chose Carolina over offers from several power programs, most notably Duke and Connecticut. Measuring 6-4, Toomey would be tied for the tallest player on UNC’s current roster.
G Reniya Kelly (Hoover, AL)
Image via Reniya Kelly on Twitter
A four-star recruit for the Tar Heels, Reniya Kelly (no relation to current UNC star Deja Kelly) comes to Carolina by way of Hoover High School in Alabama. ESPN rates Kelly as a 95 overall and the No. 30 overall player in her class. Its evaluation of Kelly describes her as a “smooth floor-leader with combo skills” who “knocks down mid-range jump shots with regularity.” Kelly was the first member of the Class of 2023 to commit to the Tar Heels, announcing her decision last November.
F RyLee Grays (Houston, TX)
Image via RyLee Grays on Twitter
Grays’ Twitter handle is “@DunkingBeauty,” and the 6-3 forward from Texas is rated as a four-star recruit and 92 overall by ESPN. It describes Grays as an “agile low-post performer” and an “intimidator on the block.” Grays was named an all-state performer in Texas as a freshman and a sophomore, winning a 6A state championship as a freshman and grabbing 16 rebounds in the title game. As a junior last season, she nearly averaged a double-double with 17.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
F Laila Hull (Zionsville, IN)
image via WBIW
The final member of the Class of 2023 to commit to Carolina, Hull announced her decision in late October. She chose UNC over offers from Maryland, Marquette, DePaul and Boston College. Like Kelly and grays, Hull is rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN. ProspectsNation.com describes Hull as “an exceptionally talented forward who has all the tools to be playing the game at a high level for years to come.” As a junior, Hull averaged a career-high 20.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Now, let’s take a look at the pair of recruits who have signed with head coach Hubert Davis and the men’s program.
G Simeon Wilcher (Plainfield, N.J.)
Image via Maggie Hobson
Simeon Wilcher is the highest-rated member of UNC’s 2023 recruiting class, with 247 Sports rating him as a five-star prospect and the No. 19 player in his class overall. He chose Carolina over several Power 5 offers, including Kansas, Auburn and Ohio State. An early commit, Wilcher made his decision last October and signed his national letter of intent over a year later on November 15, 2022. Wilcher’s high school team, Roselle Catholic, is ranked No. 1 in the country.
“We’re very excited about Simeon joining Carolina Basketball,” Davis said. “He is exactly what we were looking for and what we wanted in a guard in the class of 2023. He has a skilled combination of size, athleticism and competitiveness, is an excellent on-ball defender, can really shoot well and is a fantastic finisher at the basket.”
PF Zayden High (San Antonio, TX)
Image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins
247 Sports rates Zayden High as a four-star prospect and the No. 47 overall player in the Class of 2023. High’s recruitment to UNC all happened rather quickly, as he took an official visit the weekend of October 1, just three weeks after receiving a scholarship offer from the school. Just two weeks later, he committed to Carolina. At 6-9, High is likely one of several Tar Heel big men who will look to fill Armando Bacot’s shoes next season.
“Zayden is the perfect example of the modern-day big man with his all-around skills, abilities to make plays at multiple positions and shoot the ball as well as any player with his size in this class,” Davis said. “He’s a great kid that comes from a wonderful family. He’s exactly what we wanted and needed in this class.”
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