North Carolina offered L.J. Smith this past Sunday. The invite came after Hubert Davis and Jeff Lebo had paid lots of attention to the 6-foot-5 guard out of Lincolnton.

He had a stellar sophomore season at Lincolnton High where he averaged 33.1 points, and ran his career point total up to 1,851 with two full seasons remaining. Besides watching him with the Wolves, Lebo and Davis caught him with Team Thad this spring on the EYBL circuit, and at the NBPA Top 100 Camp earlier this month.

Smith also attended two home games last season when the Tar Heels hosted Pitt and Duke. He now possesses offers from Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgia, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wichita State, and several mid-majors.

Smith spoke with Tar Heel Illustrated Wednesday afternoon. We discussed the offer and what it meant to him based on his lifelong UNC fandom.

THI: What had North Carolina’s contact been like with you up until the offer?

SMITH: “During the spring we had workouts, and (Jeff) Lebo came and watched. Actually it wasn’t even a workout. He came and watched up practice. Then I was at the NBPA Camp. They watched me play up there at Rock Hill, and Lebo and Hubert Davis texted me when contact period began on Sunday (June 15), and then he called me the other day.”

THI: They had plenty of chances to watch you during that practice, EYBL, and NBPA. How do you feel like you played?

SMITH: “I feel like I played really well. I showcase my ability to score and shoot the ball.”

THI: What would you give as a scouting report on your play?

SMITH: “I can shoot the three really well. I can get downhill and create for others.”

THI: Are there players out there you watch that you see yourself in?

SMITH: “Tyrese Maxey and Robert Dillingham.”

THI: Walk us through that phone call with Hubert Davis.

SMITH: “He just told me that I played really well at the camp, and he’s wanting to build a good relationship with me and my family. He wants to get me back down to campus again since I went to two games last season. He just said he’s really excited to recruit me and stuff like that.”

THI: What were his words when the offer went down?

SMITH: “He was like they had been excited to recruit me, and he wanted to give me an official offer to UNC.

THI: What was your response?

SMITH: “It was really excited. It’s my dream school. There were a lot of emotions. I just told them, ‘Thank you, and I’m really excited to get down to campus.”

THI: I was going to ask you if you grew up pulling for North Carolina as an in-state kid.

SMITH: “Yeah, I grew up a UNC fan.”

THI: How has Hubert Davis and his staff come across to you just as people?

SMITH: “They are good people, very friendly, good vibes.”

THI: How many campuses have you been to?

SMITH: “Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Duke, I think that’s it.”

THI: You can take official visits your junior year. Are you planning on setting any up?

SMITH: “I haven’t scheduled any, but I’m planning on taking some.”

THI: Any school that you are particularly thinking about getting to?

SMITH: “I haven’t really thought about the schools yet, but I’m going to get there.”

THI: It’s early, and schools have only been able to call you for a couple of days, but are there ones that have stuck out that are putting in the most effort?

SMITH: “Yeah, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Cincinnati, a couple of those schools.”

THI: Do you feel like North Carolina has joined that club?

SMITH: “Yeah.”

THI: You’ve got a busy July schedule in front of you.

SMITH: “On July 10 we will be in Augusta for Session IV EYBL. Right after that ends we’ve got Peach Jam in Augusta.”

THI: Those are live periods. Are you expecting more offers?

SMITH: “Yeah, I’m just going to keep playing the way I’ve been playing, and have a good attutudem good energy.”

THI: What does it feel like playing in front of a Hubert Davis or a Bill Self, or some of the big name coaches?

SMITH: “It’s different, a lot of nerves. But I just try to block them out, and act like they’re not there, and just keep playing my game the way I’ve been playing.”