Four-star Anthony Harris commits to North Carolina
By EVAN DANIELS 5 hours ago
North Carolina waited eight months between 2019 signee Armando Bacot’s verbal commitment in August, and 2019 guard Cole Anthony’s pledge on Tuesday.
It only had to wait a matter of hours for its next commitment.
Anthony Harris, a 6-3 senior combo guard at Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI, verbally committed to Roy Williamsand the Tar Heels on Tuesday during his official visit in Chapel Hill.
“I just got to know the coaches really well over the past two or three weeks,” Harris said. “The culture there is different than any other. I had a great time at Indiana as well, but UNC is closer to me and easier for my family to see me play. I also have family in North Carolina as well. Just to be a part of that culture and family and it’s just different.”
Harris said the family atmosphere and the bond he built with the players and staff factored heavily into his decision to become a Tar Heel.
“I liked it all,” he said about the visit. “I liked all the staff, the coaches, the players, it just seemed like a family environment that I would like to be in. Plus their fans, everything kind of fit together.”
During the visit, Harris said he spent time with Roy Williams, who he also recently met with two weeks ago at his school. Among the things they bonded over is their competitiveness.
“He’s a great guy,” Harris said of Williams. “He’s very competitive, just like me. He tries to beat you getting to the car, whatever it was. It’s always a competition with him.”
On the EYBL circuit last summer, Harris played for Team Takeover alongside Bacot and offered 2020 point guard Jeremy Roach. Getting heavy minutes on, arguably, grassroots basketball’s best team did wonders for Harris’s confidence and his recruitment.
He took official visits to Virginia Tech (September 7), Wake Forest (September 21), and Duke (September 28). Although he officially visited Duke – and seemed to be headed towards a verbal commitment to the Blue Devils – he was never officially offered. He committed to the Hokies and former head coach Buzz Williams just a couple of days after his visit to Durham. When Williams left for Texas A&M, Harris reopened his recruitment.
While Harris had offers from a long list of schools, his second decision came down to the Heels, Indiana, who he visited this past weekend, Maryland and Virginia Tech.
“I liked everything,” Harris said North Carolina. “It’s somewhere I feel like I can go and develop as a player. They have a great strength and conditioning program and a doctor on staff that can get my knee to perform at a high level.”
Harris missed the majority of his senior high school season after suffering a torn ACL last December. Paul VI coach Glenn Farello told 247Sports that Harris is expected to be ready to play upon enrolling at the school of his choice.
“Anthony’s rehab is going smooth and he’s on target for a full recovery this summer,” Farello said.
Harris ranks No. 65 overall and as the No. 8 combination guard in the 2019 recruiting class, according to the 247 Sports Composite.
“Just being an energy guy, a playmaker, defender of course, and whatever they need me to do, it’s kind of wide open,” he said when asked how he can help the Tar Heels. “Me getting to play with big ‘Mando again, Cole, it’s going to be great.”
Harris and Anthony — who ranks No. 3 overall in the 247Sports Composite Rankings — are both known for their intensity, motors and defensive abilities. The two should make quite the two-way backcourt when on the floor together.
“I feel like we can play together really well,” Harris explained. “Both of us can play on the ball and off the ball, both of us are playmakers. It’s going to be a great duo in the backcourt.”
Harris is North Carolina’s fourth signee/commitment in the senior class. He joins Bacot, Anthony, and Pickerington (Ohio) Central guard Jeremiah Francis. Harris is the third player in the last four classes to sign with UNC in the spring after being released from a national letter of intent (Garrison Brooksand Kenny Williams).
North Carolina’s four-man class now consists of a pair of five-stars, a four-star prospect and a three-star recruit, and ranks No. 6 overall in the 247Sports Team Rankings.
UNC confirmed on Tuesday evening that Harris had signed a scholarship agreement and Roy Williams released the following statement: “Anthony’s a remarkable young man. I love his toughness and competitiveness. A team can never have enough of these qualities. We are very fortunate to have a player of his caliber join our program. His parents (Anthony Sr. and Meecsha Harris) have done a great job raising him and Coach Farello has done a tremendous job coaching him at Paul VI. He’s a great addition to our program.”
EVALUATION
Anthony Harris is versatile, can play either guard spots, and he’s one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the class. He’s a true combination guard. But he’s battle-tested, having played in arguably the best high school league in the country (WCAC) and helping Team Takeover to the Peach Jam crown. He’s physical, a high-level competitor, and a two-way guard.