All Tar Heels

UNC Basketball Signee James Brown Steps Up Recruiting Efforts

The future UNC basketball big man is calling on fans to help him persuade his teammate to join him as a Tar Heel.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY NETWORK
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James Brown, No. 71 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, announced his UNC basketball commitment in January 2023. Over a year later, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound four-star is pushing to get one of his five-star Link Academy (Mo.) teammates, sharpshooting guard Jasper Johnson, to do the same.

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On Friday, Brown posted a picture of himself wearing Tar Heel gear and standing next to Johnson, who ranks No. 12 among his 2025 peers but hasn't completely ruled out a reclassification to 2024. Brown tagged Johnson in the post and requested that his followers "like" it if they think Johnson "would look good in a North Carolina shirt too":

Jasper Johnson, an admitted lifelong UNC basketball enthusiast growing up in Lexington, Ky., is fresh off his official visit in Chapel Hill. He was in attendance alongside a fellow five-star 2025 target, Holy Innocents Episcopal (Ga.) forward Caleb Wilson, to watch the No. 3 Tar Heels defeat their archival in now-No. 9 Duke.

"It was a great visit," Johnson recounted to recruiting insider Adam Zagoria. "The message [Hubert Davis and his staff] are telling me is they want me to come in and play major minutes and make an immediate impact from Day 1...

"[Reclassifying is] always an option, but I'll probably stay in the class of 2025 just to give my body an extra year before college. A couple of different schools would love me in either 2024 or 2025, but it's my decision, and I'm just going to be patient."

No 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions exist in the race.

Down to a top 10 of UNC, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri, Southern Cal, and West Virginia, Johnson will be on an official visit to Kentucky this weekend before checking out Auburn next weekend.

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

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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