All Tar Heels

UNC Women's Basketball Still in Mix for 2027 Five-Star Center

North Carolina is in contention to land the No. 1 player in Ohio.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 24, 2034; Columbia, So Carolina, USA; University of North Carolina Coach Courtney Banghart during the first quarter of the second round NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at the Colonial Life Center. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images via Greenville News
Mar 24, 2034; Columbia, So Carolina, USA; University of North Carolina Coach Courtney Banghart during the first quarter of the second round NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at the Colonial Life Center. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images via Greenville News | Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images via Greenville News

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North Carolina Tar Heels

A Top 12 graphic on social media revealed that Courtney Banghart's North Carolina Tar Heels are in the mix for Sydney Mobley. Mobley, a 6'2'' center out of Delaware, OH, is currently the No. 1 player in the state.

According to 247Sports, she's the No. 20-ranked player in the Class of 2027. While the competition is tough, Mobley placed UNC in her Top 12.

Sydney Mobley Could Kickstart UNC's Class of 2027

The Tar Heels won't have it easy, but seeing their name in consideration for Mobley is quite the start. Teams like Iowa, West Virginia, Tennessee, and TCU were all removed from Mobley's list as she narrowed her recruitment down to 12 on October 26.

Her Top 12 features: Notre Dame, Michigan State, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Florida, UNC, Maryland, South Carolina, Illinois, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.

UNC's logo on the graphic is right next to the Gamecocks, one of the premier teams in women's college basketball. Ohio State remaining in her Top 12 is also troublesome, as the Buckeyes have a history of landing top recruits who want to stay close to home.

Mobley's post read, "Big thanks to all the coaches that believed in me and recruited me! Big things ahead!" It's not uncharacteristic for a Class of '27 recruit to finalize their Top 12 this early, but it comes few and far between. For UNC, now they know it's time to get to work.

Banghart's Class of 2026

Make no mistake, UNC's Class of 2026 still needs some work. Landing five-star, No. 1 ranked player Kate Harpring was a huge get for Banghart. The 5'10'' point-guard can't come to the team soon enough, and when she does, she'll be joined by 6'4'' power forward Noelle Bofia.

Bofia is a four-star PF out of Phoenix, AZ. She's currently in her last season at Xavier College Preparatory while Harpring finishes her time at Marist School in Atlanta, GA.

UNC
North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Nell Redmond/theACC.com

UNC enters the 2025-26 season ranked No. 11. They have a pair of easy non-conference games against North Carolina Central and Elon before playing No. 3 UCLA as part of the WBCA Challenge. Banghart's squad will immediately be put to the test in what could be a defining game in their season.

After losing to Duke in the Sweet 16, UNC is back for vengeance. The Blue Devils come into this season with their No. 7 ranking as they continue to have an edge on the Tar Heels.

UNC basketball
UNC basketball | Matt Giles-North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.