Ziaire Williams Choosing Stanford Over UNC is Another Big Wing Whiff for Roy Williams
The world of recruiting is still going strong even in the wake of all the COVID-19-related shutdowns. Ziaire Williams was a big name several powerhouse programs had an eye on, including the University of North Carolina.
The 5-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon drew interest from UNC, USC, Arizona and Stanford. A move east could have jumpstarted the UNC program next fall after a losing record this past season. Instead, Roy Williams whiffed once again and the 6-7 Williams decided to go with Stanford.
ESPN's No. 7 ranked senior Ziaire Williams (@therealZiaire) has committed to Stanford ?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 12, 2020
He is the highest-ranked recruit Stanford has landed in the ESPN 100 Era. pic.twitter.com/GfORCyCndQ
This continues a stretch of UNC's Williams missing out on top wing talents in recruiting. Guard Cole Anthony was the prize of the 2019 class. Yet, Williams missed out on players like Josh Green and and Precious Achiuwa at the same time.
Josh Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are teammates, friends, and key #UNC Basketball recruits. They’ll both be in Chapel Hill this weekend for their official visits. Here’s the primer: https://t.co/34ojSqE11C pic.twitter.com/PV920mQzVT
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) September 19, 2018
The expectation at UNC under Williams is that the team will compete for a national championship every year. That requires landing top talent, especially at the wing spots to adapt to the prevalent style of play in today's game.
Choosing Stanford over UNC makes sense based on proximity. However, if UNC was seen as the best program in the country it would not matter where it is located. That is where a potential one-and-done player would go to be in the spotlight and chase a national championship.
The Heels' lack of wing talent will come back to haunt them if something doesn't change soon.