UNC Basketball: Hubert Davis May Soon Battle Duke for Five-Star Prep

UNC basketball appears to be ramping up its interest in rival Duke’s recruiting target Nate Ament.

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis vs. Duke / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

As two members of a bitter rivalry who reign just eight miles apart on Tobacco Road, UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and Duke's Jon Scheyer are no strangers to clashing both on and off the court. In addition to their battles on the court, the two blueblood programs often tussle in the recruiting space for some of the top prospects in the nation. This year, things are no different.

UNC appears to have increasing interest in one of the top players in the 2025 class in Nate Ament, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward who has been hearing from the Tar Heels of late. He's held an offer from the Duke staff since September.

Despite a nearly 20-team offer sheet, the rival Blue Devils remain one of Ament’s only blueblood offers, with the Tar Heels yet to officially enter the fray for the rising senior.

Even without extending an offer yet, head coach Hubert Davis and members of the UNC staff were in Texas on Friday to watch Ament and Team Loaded VA take on Southern Assault in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

Seated less than 10 seats down from Davis and assistant Sean May was none other than Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, who was joined by members of his staff as they watched the five-star Ament shine on the court.

Team Loaded-VA (#iubb target Nate Ament) vs. Southern Assault.

Mike Woodson is here.

Jon Scheyer, Nate Oats, Tommy Lloyd, Pat Kelsey, Hubert Davis, Rodney Terry, Bobby Hurley, Steve Lutz, Kentucky, Virginia, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Pitt, UGA, WKU & many others. #3SSB pic.twitter.com/YxPTlTl61V

— Trevor Andershock (@INBBallSource) May 17, 2024

Ament put on a show for the two sets of rival coaches, finishing with 25 points on 5-for-9 shooting from three in his team’s 70-61 victory. His show was also taken in by a variety of other high-major coaching staffs, including Louisville’s Pat Kelsey and Indiana’s Mike Woodson.

Elite 2025 wing @NateAment15 with a smooth 25 points (5-9 from 3PT) in a win today for @TeamLoadedBBall at @3SSBCircuit.

UNC, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, NC State, Arkansas, Georgia Tech and others front and center! pic.twitter.com/iTS0T0EdvJ

— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) May 18, 2024

He currently ranks No. 18 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite and is one of a number of potential Tar Heel targets for next year’s class.

UNC basketball currently has nine five-star targets on the 2025 recruiting trail: forwards AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Koa Peat, Caleb Wilson, Isiah Harwell, and Bryson Tiller, plus guards Darryn Peterson, Cayden Boozer, and Jasper Johnson.

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