UNC Basketball Battling Wolfpack for In-State Forward
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In May, Caldwell Academy (N.C.) forward Cole Cloer became the first 2026 recruit to report an offer from UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and his staff. That didn't come as much surprise, even though the 6-foot-6, 180-pounder hasn't quite reached five-star status yet.
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Recruiters from Chapel Hill were in attendance for several of Cloer's games as a sophomore at nearby Orange High School in Hillsborough (he transferred to Caldwell in Greensboro for his junior year). And the 16-year-old, a versatile sensation who ranks No. 25 overall and No. 1 among North Carolina talents on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, also visited UNC a few times.
"Coach Davis and UNC speaks for itself," Cloer recently explained to Zagsblog's Sam Lance. "Historic program. Top program in the country, of course...But I love Coach Davis. He seems like a great guy. He's a grounded man. He's a really good guy to talk to. Coach [Jeff] Lebo, he's also been recruiting me for a long time.
"And obviously it's blue blood. It's Jordan Brand. Winning program. National championships. All that comes with it, but I really love the coaching staff."
Now, there's no doubt he wants to check out the UNC basketball facilities at least once more as a junior.
However, the same goes for another ACC program on Tobacco Road, not to mention a longtime suitor from the SEC.
"I'm definitely gonna head back up to Tennessee," Cole Cloer told Lance, "definitely going to hit up NC State and Carolina again."
Tennessee and NC State extended their offers to Cloer almost a year ago.
He's also eyeing trips to Alabama, Ohio State, and Louisville, among others on his expanding offer sheet.