North Carolina laid the foundation for its future on Wednesday, when head coach Hubert Davis landed a commitment from five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau of Branson (Mo.) Link Academy. Cadeau chose UNC over a long list of offers, including ones from fellow finalists Texas Tech, Texas, Louisville and Kansas. The newest Tar Heel discusses his decision with Rivals’ Rob Cassidy below.
IN HIS WORDS
ON WHY HE PICKED NORTH CAROLINA
“I like the program because of all the winning and all that. That’s what I like to do. I like to win, and they win a lot of games. I love the coaching staff because it’s really like a family. That’s what stands out about them. The whole staff either played for North Carolina or graduated from there, so that says a lot. It says a lot that everybody wants to come back to work there shows that it really is a family.”
ON WHEN HE KNEW UNC WAS THE PLACE FOR HIM
“I’ve known for a while. After the visit, I kind of knew that nobody was going to top North Carolina. The visit set the bar for every other college really, really high if that makes sense.”
ON HIS ROLE AS A TAR HEEL
“I’m going to come in as a starter. I’m going to be ready to play as a freshman, so that’;s cool. The biggest thing is the roster. Like, RJ Davis will be gone by the time I get there, so that opened up a spot for another point guard. I can come in and just fill RJ’s role.”
ON WHAT HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT BEING AT UNC
I’d say the schedule. Day in and day out, they play nationally ranked teams on national TV. They played at Madison Square Garden this year, and that;s cool. Definitely I’m looking forward to all those experiences playing on those kinds of courts.
ON RECLASSIFICATION RUMORS
No, I’m going to reclassify. I’m committing as a 2024 player.
WHAT NORTH CAROLINA IS GETTING
Cadeau is possibly the most well-rounded guard in the 2024 class, but he’s been shining especially bright as a facilitator as of late. The five-star prospect is consistently creative without being careless and showcased that blend of skill at City of Palms Classic just before Christmas. In two games at the event, Cadeau racked up a combined 14 assists to just three turnovers and led his Link Academy Team to a tournament title. UNC’s newest commit is a traditional point guard first, but also functions as an efficient scorer on his best days, avoiding bad shots and seemingly always making good decisions with the ball in his hands. His broad shouldered build helps him to to his spots and finish through contact. He’s an above average ball-handler that changes pace well in order to get to the rack. Defensively, he has some work left to do but his basketball IQ and strong upper body give him long term potential.
