D'Marco Dunn Commits To UNC
D'Marco Dunn, one of the top players in the top shooting guards in the class of 2021, has committed to play basketball at North Carolina, he announced Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting guard from Westover Senior High School in Fayetteville, NC, not only became Roy Williams' second commitment of the 2021 class, he also became the second North Carolinian and the second top one-hundred player to come aboard in this recruiting cycle.
Dunn is ranked No. 91 by Rivals nationally. The 6-foot-4 senior joins Dontrez Styles of Kinston as the first two prospects to commit to the Heels. The 6-foot-7 wing is ranked No.58 overall pledged to Carolina this past April.
“I picked UNC over the others because I felt it was the best opportunity,” Dunn told THI. “Not only for the playing style but the type of people they carry themselves as.”
Originally from Arizona, Dunn moved to Fayetteville last year and he immediately made a name for himself in the basketball-crazed state. Dunn helped lead Westover to a 30-0 record and state championship this past season. He was named AP All-State after averaging 20.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He scored 611 points and shot 71-for-157 (45.2 percent) from 3-point range and 135-for-228 (59.2 percent) inside the arc.
Dunn, who has more than 30 offers, chose UNC over Arizona, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Clemson, Georgia and Texas.
“He’s a very versatile guard and a great shooter,” Styles told THI. “I can’t wait to play with him.”
The Tar Heels had appeared in good position once their offer was extended, last spring but the buzz between the two parties picked up a lot of steam once September rolled around. Dunn gave us an indication in an interview just before that window opened that Chapel Hill might offer the right fit for him.
"It's just who they are," Dunn said. "I think they have a great system for me. They like to play fast and get up shots. Obviously, they present a great platform to do it on. It's the basketball itself, not really the location. I like to get out in transition, and I think they really do that. They push the ball and they get up early shots and get up three's. That's exciting for me."
The North Carolina coaching staff was feeling the potential marriage as well. Assistant coach, Steve Robinson, was the lead recruiter, and Dunn added to us that he was hearing from Coach Rob on a daily basis.
Dunn is known as a very capable scorer who can put the ball in the hole from all three levels, but his shooting ability seems to be his calling card. The Carolina coaches told him during his recruitment that they see a future for him in the combo guard role. Westover Senior coach, George Stackhouse confirmed that and went into detail about his his game.
"He played a game last week where if effective field goal percentage was like one hundred eighty, which is crazy," Stackhouse said. "He scored 38 points and only took 15 shots. He is very efficient. He is not one of those high volume shot takers. He is a very effect shot maker. He scores on all three levels. He shoots the three well. We run him a lot off screens, so he uses screens well which kind of puts you in mind of a Ray Allen.
"He can also put it on the floor, very physical, finishes through contact. He's competitive. He's kind of a throwback. He kind of goes about his business. He's got a professional approach to the game. He comes in early before school and shoots on our shooting machine. He works on his skill. He has a great mid-range shot. He shoots almost fifty percent from three. he can finish at the rim with either hand. He's just tough and very, very efficient."
So how do the UNC coaches see Dunn fitting in?
"They kind of see me in a combo-guard role, just a guard in general," he explained. "They just need somebody to come in and fit into their system. Like I said before, just how they play. They get up shots, and they think I can make shots, and that I'm a knock-down shooter."
The University of North Carolina is also adding a student-athlete who is just as solid in the classroom. He goes into his senior season with a 3.4 GPA. Coach Stackhouse also raved about his presence in the locker room despite being a newcomer, and his natural leadership ability.
"He's very solid,' Stackhouse said. "He's just tough. To come in new and have kids embrace him, you have to have a very solid personality."
There are still eight available players in the 2021 class with North Carolina offers, but the Tar Heel Nation has its eyes set on Hunter Sallis and Trey Kaufman as the two elite prospects who could come off the board next.
Sallis, a 6-foot-5 five-star out of Omaha, Nebraska, is ranked No. 6 nationally and is the top rated point guard. North Carolina is in the thick of a tough fight with Creighton, Iowa State, and Kentucky. Kaufman is a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Indiana, and it is felt that the Tar Heels are neck and neck with the home state Hoosiers.