David Caraher has only played one season of high school basketball, but he’s already on the radar for a number of ACC programs.
Caraher, who plays for Chapel Hill High School, has seen his profile take off in recent months. He now finds his name mentioned among the top players in North Carolina in the 2017 class and the top wings in the nation among high school sophomores.
His standout play as a freshman landed him offers from Appalachian State, Houston Baptist, Charlotte and Radford. But the bigger names are starting to come calling now that he’s becoming one of the most coveted players in the state.
“Wake Forest is very high on me. Virginia — they’ve both been in to see me,” he said. “Davidson, Butler, Clemson, most of the ACC is just kind of really looking at me and seeing how I’m going to progress and how my grades progress. It’s pretty early right now, but I’m getting a lot of good attention.”
Caraher has started his high school season with a bang, averaging 19.5 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Chapel Hill’s first two games. He’s moved to the wing permanently this season, where he’ll be able to showcase his reliable outside shot and tremendous ball skills. After playing in the post during his freshman season, he’s committed his time in the gym to developing his perimeter skills, which are already at a high level.
Of the schools that are turning up their interest in him, two stand out to Caraher: Wake Forest and Virginia. He was in attendance at Wake Forest’s Black and Gold Madness event prior to the start of the 2014-15 season.
“I’ve talked to coach Danny Manning and coach (Randolph) Childress and coach (Brett) Ballard, and they’re really high on me. They love the way I play,” Caraher said. “I love how they have high academics at Wake Forest. They really have a total package. I really like Wake Forest.”
Caraher’s interest in Virginia increased after coach Tony Bennett compared him to one of his former All-ACC players.
“He came down to watch me, and I talked to them, and they said I play like Joe Harris. They like the way that I’m modeling my game like that, and that’s a pretty big shoe to fill with Joe Harris,” he said. “If they compare me to Joe Harris, I’ll be pretty happy with that.”
If Caraher continues to improve on a similar trajectory, offers from Wake Forest and Virginia — and several other programs — will be coming soon. He’ll have a chance to stake his place on the national radar this summer, when he plays with Team United on the EYBL AAU circuit.
At 6-6 and with advanced skills for such a young age, Caraher is developing into a can’t-miss wing prospect. He said he’s not in any sort of rush to make a college decision, and he intends to use all of his visits and vet all of his options before jumping into any sort of commitment.
Although that time is a year or two away, Caraher already knows what he’s looking for in a college.
“I’m really looking for high academics because I know that I’m trying to push it as far as I can with basketball, and I’m trying to make money playing it one day, but I know it’s going to stop bouncing at some point,” he said. “And I want to go to a school that has substance over style. I want to find a program that really fits me and fits my needs and really pushes the ball, shoots a lot, plays hard defense. Just trying to find a school that really fits me. Maybe not necessarily going to a huge school, but trying to find a program that fits me, where I can come in and make an impact.”