UNC Basketball Lands Among Finalists for Massive Transfer Target

The UNC basketball coaches look to be in the hunt for one transfer big man after being included in his list of top schools.

UNC basketball mascot Rameses / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Armando Bacot’s departure from Chapel Hill following his illustrious five-year career has left a major hole at the center position for head coach Hubert Davis and his UNC basketball program. Rising junior Jalen Washington currently appears set to take on the brunt of that role, but the Tar Heels may be close to landing a transfer big instead.

On Tuesday, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that Rutgers transfer big man Clifford Omoruyi is currently considering 12 schools, including UNC. Alabama, Baylor, Georgetown, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Oregon, St. Johns, UCLA, and Washington also made the cut.

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound post player played his previous four seasons at Rutgers, where he started all 98 games over the last three years. This past season, Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while also swatting nearly three shots per contest.

Rutgers transfer big man Clifford Omoruyi, a top-10 player in the portal, tells @On3sports he's currently considering 12 schools:

UNC
UCLA
Kansas State
GT
Georgetown
Baylor
Alabama
Oregon
Washington
UGA
St. John’s
Miss St https://t.co/hklXvFpIlH pic.twitter.com/ozlWxX1Qn2

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 16, 2024

Omoruyi currently ranks as the No. 5 transfer in all of college basketball, according to the 247Sports portal rankings, while also appearing as the No. 2 center. The only center ranked above him, Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo, has already committed to play at Indiana.

Courting an impact transfer who can play down low seems to be a top priority for Hubert Davis and the rest of the UNC crew, and Omoruyi could become one of the Tar Heels’ most important players if he decides to head to Chapel Hill.

Meanwhile, though, it's worth noting that UNC basketball remains in contact with several other big men, including Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo.

RELATED: Explosive SEC Center Hears From Tar Heels, May Be Priority

Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI for more UNC basketball news.