© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Insider Expects Huge UNC Basketball Transfer Target to Land Elsewhere
UNC basketball isn't looking like the frontrunner to reel in former Arizona center Oumar Ballo.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced of Oumar Ballo's planned trip to Chapel Hill later this month to survey the UNC basketball program in person. That points to significant interest between the Tar Heels and the 7-foot, 260-pound transfer, a double-double machine as a senior at Arizona this past season.
However, another of Ballo's suitors, Indiana, appears to boast the strongest standing in the race, evident in the 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction that popped up on Friday. National insider Travis Branham, one of the most reliable prognosticators in the business when it comes to high-profile battles in the recruiting arena and transfer portal, is the one forecasting the Hoosiers to prevail.
Although Branham's pick remains the only one in Ballo's Crystal Ball, consider that his predictions oftentimes arrive within a few days of the player announcing his decision, typically the same decision that Branham saw coming.
Oumar Ballo isn't the only heralded big man on Carolina's transfer radar as UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis tries to fill a void down low following Armando Bacot's five-year reign as the program's full-time starting center. However, Ballo sits No. 1 at the position, not to mention No. 1 overall, on 247Sports' transfer rankings for this cycle.
RELATED: Former Five-Star Prep Aaron Bradshaw Reports Tar Heel Interest
The 21-year-old Mali native redshirted at Gonzaga in 2019-20 and received a limited role off the bench for the Bulldogs during the truncated 2020-21 campaign, which doesn't count against anyone's eligibility. Ballo then transferred to Arizona, where he steadily emerged as a formidable inside force across the past three seasons.
Playing and starting all 36 games for the 2023-24 Wildcats, who finished 27-9 and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Clemson, Ballo averaged 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per outing while shooting 65.8 percent from the field.
Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI for more UNC basketball news.
