Dylan Mingo already had quite the resume. The 6-foot-5 rising senior out of the New York City area is ranked No. 11 in the 2026 class, and is the second highest rated point guard. If that wasn't enough, a stellar live session in Memphis earlier in the month in front of Hubert Davis and Jeff Lebo was enough for North Carolina to offer the PSA Cardinal on Wednesday.
The Tar Heels joined Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Providence, St. John's, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and Washington among others.
Mingo is averaging 18.6 points, and 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He shoots 47.1% from two, and 25.7% from three.
Mingo has the third highest Performance Index Rating in the EYBL at 239, and fourth in efficiency according to Synergy at 209. Mingo is fifth in steals with 2.5 per game. He was a key reason the PSA Cardinals went 7-4 throughout the three spring sessions.
Mingo spoke with Tar Heel Illustrated Thursday night about his new North Carolina, and his overall recruitment.
THI: Did you already hear from North Carolina before the live session, or did it happen afterwards?
MINGO: “I spoke to the assistant (Jeff Lebo) a couple of times before. It was Hubert Davis’ first time actually watching me in Memphis.”
THI: What was conversation like when you spoke with Coach Lebo recently?
MINGO: “We really just stayed in touch. He would tell me, ’Good game.’ He would ask about my schedule. He congratulated me on good wins.”
THI: What was the conversation like with Coach Davis once he called you?
MINGO: “He reached out and started out by really just trying to get to know me, trying to build a connection, and things like that.”
THI: Did that happen today?
MINGO: “Yesterday (Wednesday) at about four o’clock.”
THI: Did he tell you that there was an offer during the conversation?
MINGO: “Yes, he told me at the end.”
THI: How did he break it to you?
MINGO: “He was just really talking about how he enjoyed watching me play, and he would love to have me up there. Then he gave me the offer.”
THI: Give us a scouting report on your game.
MINGO: “A tall, lanky guard that can get downhill. I’m a very capable three-point shooter, and mid-range shooter. I can score at three levels. I can score easily. I would say defensively I’m really aggressive. I play the passing lanes, and I rebound very well.”
THI: You are THE guy in New York City in the 2026 class. Do you feel a lot of pressure?
MINGO: “Not really, I feel that’s what I signed up for. I signed up for the pressure. I knew what I was signing up for when I came to PSA. I’m really just putting the work in every day, and trying to be everything I can every day. That keeps me confident in my skill set.”
THI: On the next level do you see yourself as an on-ball guard, off-ball, or both?
MINGO: “I see myself as a point guard.”
THI: Are there guys you see yourself in, or are there ones you watch and take things from?
MINGO: “I watch a lot of Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). I watch a lot of Cade Cunningham, a little bit of Kyree (Irving), Devin Booker.”
THI: Most of those guys are big guards in the 6-5 to 6-6 range. Is that by design?
MINGO: “Yeah, I’m trying to find the right balance at my height. But I’m also taking some things from littler guards like Kyree, and Jalen Brunson.”
THI: Speaking of Brunson, are you getting into the Knicks playoff run?
MINGO: “Yeah, it’s really special seeing the city go crazy after they win. I really enjoy that.”
THI: What comes to mind when you think about the North Carolina program?
MINGO: “Roy Williams is a legendary coach. I got to get a picture with him a really long time ago. So that was probably one of the first things I thought about. They’ve won National Championships, so you’ve got to give them their flowers for that.”
THI: Where does your overall recruitment stand?
MINGO: “I’m wide open, wide open.”
THI: What are the things you are looking for?
MINGO: “Honestly, I want to have a strong relationship with the whole coaching staff, not just one coach, but the whole coaching staff. A place where I feel at home, and I feel comfortable, and a coach that believes in me no matter what happens.”
THI: Which schools are pushing for you the hardest right now?
MINGO: “I would say Baylor, Louisville, Alabama, and Texas.”
THI: Does getting an offer from North Carolina which is a blue blood change things the way you look at your recruitment?
MINGO: “I would say I’ve been wide open, so I never cut down a list of schools. But of course, I always dreamed of getting an offer from a blue-blood.”
THI: Are there other schools that have not offered who are talking to you pretty hard?
MINGO: “Not really, most of the schools that are really talking to me have offered. Only Baylor and Oklahoma haven’t.”
THI: When do you want to take your visits?
MINGO: “I will do them after AAU, so probably August, into September, and October, and then make a decision. I really don’t have a timetable.”
THI: So the schools you mentioned that are pushing the hardest, and now you have an offer from North Carolina, are those the ones who will probably get visits?
MINGO: “Yeah, they are interested in having me down there.”
THI: When would you like to make a decision by?
MINGO: “Hopefully by the beginning of November.”
THI: So you’re not one to see what the portal and the rosters looks like? Do you just want to get it over?
MINGO: “Yeah, really just having trust in the coach, and the coach trusting me now matter who comes means a lot.
