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Writer's pictureJoshua Marlow

Heel Tough Blog: UNC Lands 4-Star In-State Prospect, to Add to 2025 Recruiting Class



For the second time, in the 2025 recruiting class, Hubert Davis and his staff have added a top prospect, that will be a big part of the program in the years to come, after UNC landed Isaiah Denis this afternoon. Denis, is a 6-5 combo guard, from Davidson, North Carolina, and he committed to UNC over Wake Forest, Tennessee, and others. According to 247Sports, Denis is ranked as the No. 47 player in the 2025 class and is the No. 8 combo guard, and the No. 2 player from the state of North Carolina, a big, in-state recruiting win for Davis and his staff. Denis most recently visited Tennesee and Wake Forest, but his visit to Chapel Hill back in September was enough to convince him to spend his college days in Chapel Hill, as opposed to Winston-Salem, or Knoxville. 


Adam Finklestein is the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, and here is how he breaks down Denis’s game: ‘Denis is a skilled scoring guard who plays off the threat of his jumper first and foremost. He has good positional size at 6-foot-5 and plus-athleticism, but a lean frame that doesn’t allow him to yet play through contact on a consistent basis. He shot 36% from behind the arc in EYBL play, on almost 6 attempts per game, but has the soft touch, good loft and repeatable release to suggest his shooting can translate in a big way. He’s also a tough shot-maker who can create space and then pull-up with range off the dribble, as well as he can shoot off the catch (he finished in the 92nd percentile of the EYBL on contested catch and shoot attempts). Denis is a multi-level scoring threat though. He has speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, plenty of handle, and some crafty finishing ability at the rim. He shows some flashes of being able to create for others, and seems to have a solid overall feel for the game, but can also be turnover prone (2.4 assists vs. 2.3 turnovers) and is much more reliable off the ball than on at this point. Similarly, he needs to be more efficient with his individual offense by being less willing to settle for tough shots and adding the upper body strength to make him more effective inside the lane (he shot just 39% on 2pt field goals and rated in only the 19th percentile in points per possession at the rim according to Synergy Sports). Building up his body and being able to withstand more physicality could also help him on the defensive end, where he should have the size, length, and quickness to ultimately be effective.”


Denis joins fellow four-star guard, Dennis Dixon as the only commits in the 2025 recruiting class, but Carolina is still heavily involved with other high-profile prospects, including the #1 player in the class, AJ Dybantsa.


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