The rivalry between North Carolina and the Duke basketball programs run deep, but maybe it’s not as intense of a rivalry behind closed doors as many think.
The Tar Heels were in the four finalists for the top recruit in the Class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa, before he committed to BYU over North Carolina, Alabama, and Kansas. He is commanding a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal in the range of $5 and $7 million and is expected to be the top selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Some analysts forecasted that if Dybantsa were eligible for the 2025 draft he would be the top selection over current Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.
However, the interesting aspect of Dybantsa’s recruitment was how North Carolina delivered its pitch to him, including how Duke utilized high school superstar Zion Williamson during his one season with the Blue Devils.
“North Carolina pitched him a vision of being the next all-time scoring superstar to wear Tar Heel Blue, following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Vince Carter and Jerry Stackhouse,” CBS Sports college basketball insider Matt Norlander reported.
“They referenced how Zion Williamson's net worth skyrocketed by choosing to play at Duke instead of Clemson, laying out what one season at a blue blood did for his career in advance of being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, including a shoe deal worth upward of $50 million before ever playing an NBA game.”
It’s feels strange that the Tar Heels needed to use an example from a former Duke player to try and land one of the most coveted prospects in the history of college basketball recruiting and the fact they did not land the player while the details emerge from its pitch are more incriminating for the blue blood program.
Duke used the report to its advantage and quickly posted on social media.
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 11, 2024
North Carolina only has two players committed in the Class of 2025, four-star guards Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon. The two combine for the No. 31 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports, while Duke has the top class in the nation.
Not only are the Tar Heels struggling nationally to recruit but they currently have the 7th best recruiting class in the ACC, trailing schools like SMU and Georgia Tech.
BYU now sits at No. 11 with Dybantsa and two other prospects.
Perhaps focusing more on the status of its own program will work better for North Carolina next time it is involved for a high profile recruit rather than showcasing its rival’s successes.