No. 2 recruit Demarcus Henry commits to North Carolina — SkimNews
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- Demarcus Henry committed to North Carolina on Friday as the No. 2-ranked senior in the 2027 class, becoming the program’s highest-ranked recruit since Cole Anthony in 2019; only Harrison Barnes (2010) ranks higher among North Carolina commits since ESPN’s recruiting database started in 2007.
- North Carolina landed Henry over Arkansas, Louisville and Kentucky after his official visit to Chapel Hill last weekend, even though Arkansas had led his recruitment for most of the preceding weeks.
- Michael Malone made first-day contact with Henry, attended almost every one of his games and traveled to Mexico for his USA Basketball games, while Henry said the coach’s relentless recruiting and winning mentality matched what he sought.
- Demarcus Henry ranked seventh in scoring at 19.3 points per game and third in rebounding at 9.2 on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, shot nearly 52% from the field and recorded more than three combined steals and blocks per game.
- Demarcus Henry helped USA Basketball win a silver medal at the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup and, at AZ Compass Prep, posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in a Chipotle Nationals quarterfinal win before 18 points and 13 rebounds in a semifinal loss to Montverde Academy.
- Demarcus Henry became Michael Malone’s first five-star high school commitment since he replaced Hubert Davis in April; five-star Sayon Keita had also signed in the spring but was coming from Europe after playing for Barcelona last season.
- North Carolina made Henry its first 2027 recruit, is squarely in the mix for CJ Rosser (No. 3) and pursuing top-ranked Beckham Black, and hosted Nasir Anderson (No. 15) and Jalen Davis (No. 28) for official visits over the past two months.
Why it matters: Malone landed the No. 2-ranked prospect days before his first season, giving North Carolina its highest-ranked recruit since Cole Anthony’s 2019 commitment while Arkansas lost the leader it had for weeks. Henry is also North Carolina’s first 2027 pledge as the program remains in the mix for No. 3 CJ Rosser and top-ranked Beckham Black.
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