The North Carolina Tar Heels' current coaching regime didn't have a chance to assemble its own recruiting class for this season.

However, Michael Malone and his staff have an opportunity to construct an elite 2027 freshman class. On Thursday night, North Carolina's hopes of landing one of the top prospects in next year's class gained significant momentum.

Where North Carolina Stands in Race for Demarcus Henry

The No. 2 overall recruit and No. 1 small forward in the 2027 class, according to ESPN, visited Chapel Hill last weekend. After his official visit with the Tar Heels, Henry cut his list down to four teams: North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisville. In the process, the 6-foot-7, 180-pound forward removed Kansas, UConn, BYU, and Ohio State from consideration.

The timing of his visit, coinciding with his latest updated list, bodes well for the Tar Heels' chances of earning his commitment. Not to mention, Michael Jordan personally called Henry as a recruiting pitch.

According to Tar Heel247's David Sisk, Henry's crystal ball prediction has the star forward landing at North Carolina. Additionally, Sisk logged a confidence rating of 8/10. The Tar Heels have gained steady momentum as the process has unfolded. Again, the timing of the visit, Henry's final four list, and now this, indicates that North Carolina is in position to land the 5-star forward. It's important to note that these predictions don't guarantee anything.

What This Would Mean for UNC

Obviously, this would be incredible for the Tar Heels to land a top-three recruit in next year's class. North Carolina will always attract the elite recruits based on the brand alone, but earning Henry's commitment would be a testament to this coaching staff. One of the first hires Malone orchestrated was poaching Chuck Martin from John Calipari's staff at Arkansas, which ironically is in contention for Henry. That move alone could have changed the trajectory of this recruitment battle.

This could also cause a domino effect. If the Tar Heels can land the No. 2 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class, that could sway multiple top prospects to join forces with Henry. Again, North Carolina's historical pedigree alone will be enough to attract top recruits, but this would be another level.

Over the last several years, North Carolina has lost out to Duke, which has dominated the recruiting process, compiling No. 1-ranked freshman classes under head coach Jon Scheyer. Malone's arrival put some trepidation into Duke and other ACC programs, as those competitors finally recognized that North Carolina had a legitimate head coach. Well, signing Henry would also instill some fear in those same programs that the Tar Heels mean business in the recruitment process.

Henry will announce his college commitment on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.