Louisville basketball fans have been paying very close attention to the 2027 recruiting class, as it's ramping up quickly. The 2027 class has been taking visits for a few months, and some are setting commitment dates and looking to make it official sooner rather than later.
Louisville just rolled out the red carpet for the nation’s No. 3 recruit Cayden Daughtry
One recruit who Louisville fans are watching closely is the 5-star small forward DeMarcus Henry. The Cards have been pushing hard for Henry for months, and Kentucky and Louisville hosted him for an official visit last month.
Now, UofL is just days away from hearing where he is committing, but they are no longer the favorite. As he cut his list to four schools, one program is emerging as the new biggest threat to Louisville, and it is their ACC foe, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
UNC is the new frontrunner for 5-star DeMarcus Henry
Louisville was once the favorite to land Henry, as the Cardinals hosted him in early September and then took a visit to Henry the following week. Kelsey pitched to the 5-star, which made him stand out from the rest and why Louisville needs him next year.
Henry then visited Kentucky and Arkansas, and this past weekend he visited UNC. Entering the visit, Louisville and Arkansas were trending as the two favorites, but Michael Malone pulled out all the stops to leapfrog the Cardinals and Razorbacks.
Malone got Michael Jordan on the phone and talked to Henry, and the 5-star was blown away. He was in disbelief to hear that Jordan knew who he was, and it seemed like a surreal moment. Now, with the Cardinals just a few days away from learning whether they will earn his commitment, it's clear UNC is their biggest threat now, not Arkansas.
Rivals Prediction Meter gives the Tar Heels a 19.7% chance of landing his commitment, with Louisville not far behind at 14.9%. So, the MJ move was huge for the Tar Heels, but this one isn’t over yet. On3 Sports Joe Tipton reports UNC is in a “favorable position,” but also says Louisville, UNC, and Kentucky are all planning trips to Henry before his commitment.
So, the Cardinals plan to make one last pitch to the 5-star, and maybe Kelsey can work some magic.
But for right now, it looks like UNC is the newest favorite and frontrunner for Henry, and the Cardinals are close behind. The 5-star small forward would be another historic landing for Kelsey, as the 6-foot-7 forward ranks No. 2 in the nation and is the unanimous No. 1 small forward.
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