North Carolina gets commitment from 5-star recruit DeMarcus Henry, nation's top-ranked small forward

New North Carolina men’s basketball coach Michael Malone showed his recruiting prowess, landing a commitment from five-star forward DeMarcus Henry for the class of 2027.

Henry is ranked by Rivals as the No. 3 player nationally and the nation’s top small forward out of Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona. He also received offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas and Connecticut.

The 6-foot-7 forward is UNC’s first five-star recruit since Cole Anthony in the class of 2019.

DeMarcus Henry’s official commitment announcement 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QtLpiZoTnc

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— Henry Legacy (@TheHenryLegacy_) October 30, 2026

During his junior season, Henry averaged 24 points per game for Compass Prep after transferring from Mater Dei High School in California. This past spring and summer, he scored 19.3 points with 9.2 rebounds per game playing on Team Why Not in the Nike EYBL league.

Henry was also part of USA Basketball‘s silver medalist team at the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup.

Originally from Charlotte, N.C., Henry said he grew up watching North Carolina and Duke. Arkansas and head coach John Calipari were believed to be the front-runners in his recruitment, but UNC and Malone apparently convinced Henry during his official visit to Chapel Hill last weekend that he wanted to be a Tar Heel.

Congrats to 5⭐️ prospect in the Class of 2027 DeMarcus Henry on his commitment to @UNC_Basketball! pic.twitter.com/OmAk02Kt1x

— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) October 30, 2026

“Their vision for me fits exactly what I’m looking for,” Henry told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. “Coach Malone and I are like-minded. He constantly emphasizes chasing greatness, and I really like his winning mentality.”

“He won an NBA championship at the highest level, with the best players in the world, and I want to learn from him,” Henry added.

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p style=”text-align:left”>Henry is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry. Both of his siblings play college athletics at Ohio State. Chris Jr. is a freshman receiver on the football team and Seini is a sophomore guard on the Buckeyes’ women’s basketball squad.