Following the commitment of Derek Dixon, it almost was certain that other recruiting dominoes were set to fall.
As first reported shortly after Dixon’s commitment by Inside Carolina, combo guard Acaden Lewis has eliminated the UNC basketball program from his recruitment.
Top-35 prospect Acaden Lewis down to three schools, sets Duke official visit.
https://t.co/kmHflA2ADL @AcadenLewis @SidwellMBB @DukeMBB— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 2, 2024
Lewis is now focusing on three schools: UConn, Duke, and Kentucky. The only changed from his original list of finalists was the removal of North Carolina, which was expected following the cancellation of his scheduled October 2 visit.
While the expectation is that the UNC basketball program is aiming to add multiple guards from this recruiting class, it always felt like the program would land either Dixon or Lewis. Landing both seemed (based on reports) like a longshot.
Now, both sides have mutually decided to move on from each other.
For the UNC basketball program, the attention returns to the likes of Braylon Mullins and Isaiah Denis. The Tar Heels are still also actively involved in the recruitment of some of the class’ top stars, including No. 1 overall prospect AJ Dybantsa and fellow five-star Caleb Wilson.
Recruiting essentially is an everchanging thing. While student-athletes look for the best fit for them, college programs look to build their rosters for the upcoming seasons.
When a player commits to a program, it typically rules them out from continuing their pursuit of others, which, of course, is ok.
Lewis is a very talented player who should make a major impact wherever he goes. The UNC basketball program is officially out of the mix, but they are now focused on other recruiting targets as the Class of 2025 cycle heats up.
