One of the top recruits in the 2027 class, Demarcus Henry, has announced his college decision, choosing the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday.
A top-five prospect and the top-ranked small forward, Henry chose UNC over Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville. This means Kentucky will go 0/3 on recruiting targets who made their decisions this week after Lewis Uvwo chose Providence, while Reese Alston committed to LSU.
Henry is a player the Kentucky staff invested a lot of time in, hosting him for an official
visit earlier this month and visiting him again earlier this week before his decision. However, a Charlotte native, Henry has talked about his preference for playing close to home.
Fresh off a visit to Chapel Hill last week, new Tar Heel coach Michael Malone got Michael Jordan on the phone to talk to Henry, leaving a significant impression with some potential NIL ties as well.
Fortunately, Kentucky does have the commitment of wing Ryan Hampton, but that is currently their sole commitment in the 2027 class.
With the 5-in-5 rule, the Wildcats have some flexibility on the wing. Milan Momcilovic, Kam Williams, Braydon Hawthorne, and Ousmane N’Diaye are featured players who could return next season. There will also be options in the transfer portal to pursue.
Still, it does sting to see Kentucky miss out on several of its top class of 2027 targets this week.
