North Carolina already had one of the better 2016 recruiting classes in the country going into the fall signing period, but Roy Williams added another significant piece on Wednesday when Columbia, South Carolina, guard Seventh Woods committed to the Tar Heels.
According to multiple reports, Woods chose UNC over finalist South Carolina during a ceremony held at Hammond High School. His commitment makes him the third player to join the Tar Heels’ 2016 class.
Woods had been a major target for Williams’ staff and received an offer from the program in October 2013. The combo guard took an official visit to Chapel Hill on the weekend of Sept. 26.
The addition of Woods is significant for UNC for multiple reasons. From a depth standpoint, it addresses an area of need for the team, but it also represents some recruiting success for a program that, according to Williams, has been battling perception issues.
For more than a year, Williams has voiced frustration over how the ongoing NCAA investigation into an academic scandal at UNC has negatively impacted recruiting for the basketball program. Last month, Williams also stated there has been a sense (one that he disagrees with) among some high school prospects that he forces players to stay in school even when they’re ready for the NBA.
During the 2015 recruiting cycle, the Tar Heels were serious contenders for P.J. Dozier, Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram before seeing all three go elsewhere (Dozier to South Carolina, Brown to California, Ingram to Duke). Neither of the team’s current freshmen was a consensus top-75 prospect.
The staff has had more success with the 2016 class. Woods is rated the No. 34 player in his class by Scout.com, while fellow 2016 commitments Tony Bradley (No. 31 overall, No. 5 C) and Brandon Robinson (No. 55 overall, No. 9 SG) also rank in the nation’s top 60.
With Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson, Joel James and Justin Coleman graduating after the 2015-16 season, North Carolina will have at least four scholarships to use on the 2016 group. That number could grow should there be any early departures at the end of the year.