5-Star Adan Diggs Cuts List: What UNC's Appearance Means

Michael Malone has done a fantastic job this offseason on the recruiting trail. With help from assistant head coach Chuck Martin, Malone has made the transition from the NBA to college ball seem easy.

In his comparatively short time as head coach, he’s gained a lot of interest from many of the top recruits in the nation, and 5-star combo guard Adan Diggs is among the latest to show mutual interest in the Tar Heels.

Adan Diggs Narrows Down His Recruitment to Seven Schools

Millennium Tigers guard Adan Diggs (1) looks to shoot over O'Connor Eagles guard Melvin Stubbs (4) at Millennium in Goodyear, on Dec. 2, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Diggs recently released his top seven schools, with North Carolina making the cut. There’s no shortage of blue-bloods in the hunt for the talented guard, with Arizona, Kentucky, Duke, Arkansas, USC, and Kansas rounding out the other six on his list.

He’s listed as a 6’4 combo/shooting guard from Gilbert, Arizona, making the Wildcats an early favorite to land Diggs. Still, Diggs has been linked to North Carolina throughout the summer, and I like the Tar Heels' chances of at least making an honorable push and making an attractive offer.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Adan Diggs is down to seven schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-4 senior is the No. 1-ranked shooting guard and a top-five overall prospect in the 2027 class.https://t.co/R6hpQ8fmLw pic.twitter.com/mxJEQu1DN7
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) September 11, 2026

So far, Diggs has scheduled a visit to Arizona for Sept. 25, but according to On3, he plans to visit the other finalists in his recruitment process. Despite that claim, I could see Diggs committing shortly after his visit to Arizona.

It will be tough to see Diggs commit elsewhere if you’re a Carolina fan, as Michael Malone also watched NaVorro Bowman Jr. commit to UConn this week, after there had been some mutual interest between Bowman and the Tar Heels throughout his recruiting process.

What This Means for Carolina

Millennium Tigers guard Adan Diggs (1) celebrates his dunk against the Sunnyslope Vikings during their game at Sunnyslope High School on Jan. 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While I wouldn’t get my hopes up as a Carolina fan, it’s good to see that North Carolina is within striking range for a lot of these recruits. What you don’t want is for recruits to use North Carolina’s interest to gain popularity, as it seems more and more recruits could just be using blue-bloods as a hat on the table rather than having a genuine interest in the program.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how strongly North Carolina pushes for Diggs in the coming months and whether he follows through by visiting Chapel Hill following his trip to Arizona.

Mar 23, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michael Malone and North Carolina are in a great position to have one of the nation's best recruiting cycles. Malone has done a great job generating interest, but now he’ll have to show he can finish the job.

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