Where UNC Basketball Stands in Loaded Niko Bundalo Sweepstakes

The five-star prospect, an admitted UNC basketball fan, will be in Chapel Hill before wrapping up his recruitment.

Matt Giles | Sep 11, 2024

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

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North Carolina Tar Heels

Prolific Prep (Calif.) forward Niko Bundalo welcomed UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis and two Tar Heel assistants to his school on Tuesday, 247Sports' Travis Branham reported.

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Bundalo, No. 23 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite, plans to choose a winner from his top nine before his senior season begins in early November, in time for the early signing period.

Meanwhile, not only are the Tar Heels among those finalists — along with Michigan State, UConn, Texas, Pitt, Ohio State, Xavier, Kentucky, and recently added Kansas — but Davis and his crew are also locked in as one of the handful of programs he intends to visit ahead of his decision.

The 6-foot-11, 215-pound five-star, a lifelong Tar Heel enthusiast due to the Michael Jordan fandom of his Chicago native mother, completed his UConn and Michigan State official visits over the past two weekends. He will check out Ohio State on Sept. 21-22 before heading to Chapel Hill for his UNC basketball tour the first weekend of October.

Sure, Bundalo has confirmed that he's also eyeing trips to Kansas and Kentucky, likely at some point in October. At least for the moment, though, his advertised slate of official visits shows his UNC basketball suitors going last.

"I think UNC has always been a really good school for dudes at the four, from the research that I've done," Niko Bundalo told Branham earlier this summer. "They have had really versatile fours, and in recent years, they have had some really high-level guards. And for me, that's been a really big draw.

"The opportunity to play with a really good guard as a four-man, it gets a twinkle in your eye."

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

Published Sep 11, 2024

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.