Electrifying Guard Attracts Nearby UNC Basketball Recruiters

The UNC basketball staff and its Duke basketball counterpart had eyes on the same in-state prospect this week.

UNC basketball / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Duke basketball coaches checked out sophomore prep King Gibson at The Burlington School (N.C.) on Sunday night. And on Wednesday night, On3's Jamie Shaw reported that members of Hubert Davis' UNC basketball bunch followed suit, driving 33 miles to see the stock-rising sensation.

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Neither UNC nor its archrival about 10 miles up Tobacco Road has officially entered the King Gibson sweepstakes. In fact, neither fourth-year head coach Hubert Davis nor third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has begun extending any offers on the 2027 trail.

But it sure does appear as though Gibson, the top-ranked 2027 North Carolina talent in the eyes of On3 and the nation's No. 8 overall prospect in the cycle, enjoys the athleticism, length, and all-around tools to potentially end up on both nearby bluebloods' early wishlists.

"[King Gibson] stands out as a guard prospect with positional size, burst off the dribble, and bounce," 247Sports' Dushawn London noted after watching the 6-foot-4, 185-pound full-throttle speedster shine at John Lucas' Be Elite Invitational back in September. "This past weekend, it was his court coverage that did the trick as he could be spotted flying all over the court to make positive plays happen — particularly on the defensive end.

"Gibson met opponents at the rim and took full advantage of his athletic gifts to play the passing lanes and keep his man in front..."

Meanwhile, although it's worth remembering that countless Duke and UNC players over the years grew up rooting for the shade of blue they would eventually view as a rival, King Gibson sounds quite drawn to the Blue Devils.

"I've always been a Duke fan since I was growing up," he explained to Pro Insight earlier this year. "I've always been around a Duke culture with my family. So, I feel like that's the school I would want to attend."

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Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball recruiting news.