UNC Basketball: Captivating Headlines From The Tar Heels
The basketball team at UNC might wish to sign a couple of elite 2026 centers.
In the roughly 36 hours since rising high school juniors’ first direct-contact period started this weekend, UNC basketball has gotten in touch with at least two 2026 big men.
Five-star Sam Funches of Germantown High School (Miss.) was the first to report receiving a call from the Tar Heels. On the 247Sports 2026 Composite, he is ranked No. 1 among centers and No. 14 overall.
Latrell Allmond, a four-star recruit from John Marshall High School (Va.), is ranked No. 4 at the position and No. 36 overall, not quite as high as Funches. However, Allmond has become visible to UNC basketball recruiters, much like Funches.
The 6-foot-10, 205-pound Allmond said to Recruits Zone on Saturday night that the Tar Heels are one of the more than a dozen schools he has spoken with directly so far. Similar to Funches, NC State, a nearby ACC rival of UNC, is also on Allmond’s list of prospective recruiters.
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Allmond is a multifaceted powerhouse who shoots 45.5 percent from beyond the arc and averages 8.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit. Despite competing in the 17U division, that is the case.
In a recent conversation with Jamie Shaw of On3, he provided an update on his recruitment, mentioning that he has visited two ACC suitors, Virginia and NC State, and already has a lengthy list of high-major offers.
Latrell Allmond clarified, “I want to go to a school that allows me to be me.” Naturally, I want to play right away, but I’m going to follow the coach’s plan of attack. Their plan for me is something we will consider as we proceed through the process. But I’m going to trust the process once I’m at school.
“I play defense a lot. People probably aren’t aware of this aspect of my game, but I enjoy playing in transition and getting stops.”
So far, only one 2026 prospect has received an offer from UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis: forward Cole Cloer, a four-star recruit from Caldwell Academy in North Carolina.
