5-star SF DeMarcus Henry commits to North Carolina

Five-star small forward DeMarcus Henry, one of the top players in the 2027 class, has committed to North Carolina and coach Michael Malone, he announced on NBA Today. The 6-foot-7 small forward out of Compass Prep (AZ) chose the Tar Heels over Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, and others.[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]Henry, a native of Charlotte, NC, is ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an average of all three major recruiting media companies (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports). Rivals’ evaluators are higher on him, ranking him No. 2 nationally.Henry on North CarolinaIn a previous interview with Rivals, DeMarcus Henry discussed the North Carolina program.UNC: “I’m starting to get to know Coach (Michael) Malone, who is coming from the NBA. He’s a great coach, and he talks to me about NBA-style basketball, which I like. They’ve been recruiting me hard for a long time, so that means a lot.”More on HenryDeMarcus Henry is the son of the late Chris Henry, a former wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. His older brother, Chris Henry Jr., is a five-star freshman wide receiver at Ohio State, while his sister, Seini Henry, plays basketball for the Buckeyes.Henry has been one of the biggest stock risers in the 2027 class this summer. In June, he earned First Team honors at the NBPA Top 100 Camp after leading the event in both scoring (20.0 PPG) and rebounding (9.3 RPG). He also was named to the USA Basketball U18 National Team, helping the United States win a silver medal.Scouting HenryRivals’ national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw has evaluated DeMarcus Henry multiple times. Here is what he’s recently written about him:Demarcus Henry has such good feel for simply going to get the ball. The lefty seems to consistently make plays using his length, pop, and instincts. Henry brings consistent defensive presence, scaling up and down a lineup. Offensively, he is still growing but finishes plays around the basket.The hustle plays stood out for Henry. Using his length, twitch, and anticipation, he seemed to always find himself around the ball. An instinctive rebounder, he corralled missed shots in and out of his area. Offensively, Henry was at his best filling the lanes in transition. He switched ends with a purpose and finished at the rim. The offensive game will need to continue expanding, but you love the ability to consistently make positive plays on both ends of the floor.