Signing a four-star recruit is not usually cause for
celebration in Chapel Hill, but Roy Williams and the UNC fan base certainly
rejoiced when 6’10” power forward Tony
Bradley committed on Wednesday night.
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| photo by Kelly Kline |
After signing Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson, and Joel Berry in
the 2014 class, UNC recruiting took a quick downward turn. The Tar Heels went
after seven of the top 10 players in the class of 2015 and struck out with all
of them while only getting a total of two official visits from Brandon Ingram
and Jaylen Brown.
Things were not looking good for the 2016 class either. With
over 20 scholarship offers out, there was a legitimate question regarding UNC’s
ability to sign just one. Then came the Bradley announcement which lifted the mood
of an entire fan base beaten down by the academic scandal, NCAA talk, and a six-year Final
four drought.
Right now, Tony Bradley is ranked No. 31 in his class, but
that is in large part due to the emphasis that high school rankings place on
athleticism and NBA potential. The big man from Barstow (FL) won’t wow anyone
with his speed or leaping ability, but he did put together one of the more
efficient performances over the course of the summer as any player in the
country. During Peach Jam play Bradley averaged 14.2 points and 8 rebounds on
71.1% shooting from the field and during the Nike Global Challenge he dazzled
onlookers with 19 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on a scintillating 78.6%
from the field.
The North Carolina recruitment of Bradley began with the
first July live period in 2014. Assistant coach Steve Robinson informed Tony
Bradley Sr. that the UNC coaching staff was looking forward to watching Bradley’s
summer performance and he didn’t disappoint. Bradley turned in one of the
better performances at the Adidas Unrivaled camp in Chicago (IL) under the watchful
eye of Roy Williams and earned an invitation to the Adidas underclassmen
all-star game.
UNC’s recruiting picked up for Bradley as soon as his junior
year started and Roy Williams offered a scholarship in early December. He then
took his first and only official visit in early March when the Tar Heels lost
to Duke in the last game of the regular season. After enjoying his visit to
Chapel Hill, UNC was the presumed leader but with the NCAA academic situation
unresolved an early commitment was not expected.
This past spring Bradley put a focus on improving his
conditioning. As a result, his upper body slimmed out and his ability to run
the floor improved. Over the next year Bradley will need to continue his focus
on conditioning given the up-tempo style of play under Williams.
Ample playing time awaits Bradley in Chapel Hill. After this
season Brice Johnson and Joel James will graduate leaving Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah
Hicks, and Luke Maye as the lone big men. Bradley and his 7’4” wing span should
be able to adapt to the college game fairly quickly. He is a good rebounder in
space and has a very solid low post game. He prefers a short right-handed hook
as his go-to move, but also has a nice touch on a short jumper from 5-12 feet.
Given the recruiting drought in Chapel Hill, the Tony
Bradley commitment could not have come at a better time for the Tar Heels. Will
this clear the black cloud hanging over the program? No, but it at least offers
a ray of sunshine to a program going through a tumultuous time.
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