For the fifth consecutive weekend, North Carolina will host an official visitor from the class of 2025. Niko Bundalo, a 6-foot-11 forward at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, is scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon.
Bundalo entered the Tar Heels’ radar when he arrived on the national scene during the summer of 2023. Tar Heel assistant coach Jeff Lebo made the initial contact, though Bundalo’s UNC recruitment was quiet for the better part of a year. But after watching Bundalo with Wildcats Select on adidas’ 3SSB circuit in May, and at the USA Basketball minicamp in June, Davis opted to offer.
After returning to America after a stint with the Serbian national team in August, Bundalo announced a top eight school list – Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Texas, and Xavier. He’s since added Kansas, and has taken official trips to UConn, Ohio State, and Michigan State. Bundalo told 247Sports’ Travis Branham that he plans to save his final visit for Kentucky, though that date hasn’t yet been set.
Davis, and assistants Sean May and Brad Frederick, traveled to Prolific Prep on Sept. 10 for an in-school visit with Bundalo. He also told Branham he hopes to announce a college decision before his senior season begins.
Alongside fellow Californian forward Nik Khamenia, Bundalo has had a relatively quiet recruitment. Still, sources indicate North Carolina isn’t likely in Bundalo’s top tier entering the visit. As we’ve seen though, recruitments can shift quickly, and without warning.
Bundalo on UNC
“I think UNC has always been a really good school for dudes at the four from the research that I have done. They have had really versatile fours and in recent years they have had some really high-level guards, and for me that’s been a really big draw. The opportunity to play with a really good guard as a four-man. It gets a twinkle in your eye. I love playing with great players and I love playing against great players. I know UNC is a school that will get everybody’s best shot and I want to be on the floor with the best players I can be with when it comes to war time.”
Coach’s Take
“(It’s rare) for someone at that size to possess some guard skills like he does. I think he’s one of the most talented players in the country. Guys who are going to guard him are bigger players. He can drive by them going right or left… they won’t be able to force him one way or another. He has an incredible face-up game. I think he’s a stretch ‘4’ depending on defensive matchups. At the college level, he’ll have a long way to go as far as ability to guard the post. But he can play some ‘5’ too, if needed. ” – Bundalo’s former coach at Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy, Matt Garvey
Scout’s take
“Bundalo is an inside-out lefty four-man with good positional size, athleticism, and deceptive strength. He has good bounce around the rim, a great right hand, and while his frame doesn’t boast a ton of visible muscle mass, he plays through contact fairly well. He’s legit low-post scoring threat who understands angles and is especially effective sealing off defenders prior to the catch for easy buckets. The most important variable for Bundalo is his overall intensity. He’s hyper-competitive, and when he can harness that while maintaining full control of his emotions, he’s extremely effective on both ends of the floor. When that fire burns too hot though, it can be detrimental, with implications on his shot selection, decision-making, and overall mentality. Overall, Bundalo is a prospect who can experience some highs and lows, but has a terrific combination of size, deceptive strength and athleticism, and crafty inside-out skill.” – 247Sports national director of scouting Adam Finkelstein
