Brigham Young forward Kanon Catchings visited North Carolina on Friday but committed to Georgia on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
That bad news for UNC soon wasn’t so bad. Another Carolina target, Alabama transfer forward Jarin Stevenson, who grew up in Chatham County and played at Seaforth High School, committed to the Tar Heels on Sunday night, according to multiple reports.
When Catchings, who has also visited Georgia, committed to BYU, the four-star recruit out of Brownsburg, Ind., was the highest-rated player pick the Cougars in that program’s history at 37th, according to ESPN. He initially committed to Purdue during his sophomore year in high school.
Once projected to be a first-round pick in this June’s NBA draft, Catchings started and averaged 25 minutes per game over the first 14 games. He never started after Jan. 11, and only averaged 11 minutes over the last 17 games, playing fewer than 10 minutes in seven games.
His best game last season was when he came off the bench on Jan. 28 to score 23 points, making all eight shots — including three 3-pointers — in a 93–89 overtime victory over Baylor. He became the only Division I freshman this century to be perfect from the field and the free-throw line with at least eight field-goal attempts, at least four 3-point attempts, and at least three free-throw attempts.
Catchings scored multiple 3-pointers 10 times — including in a 72–61 Nov. 29 win over N.C. State — at least three seven times, at least four five times and a season-high five in a 96–85 overtime loss to Ole Miss on Nov. 28. He had 43 3-pointers for the season, shooting 35%.
He had 18 steals and 13 blocks. The negative statistics were that he only shot 58.7% at the free throw line and had 21 assists against 24 turnovers.
His mother Tauja played at Illinois and was picked in the 2000 WNBA draft, his grandfather Harvey played 11 seasons in the NBA, and his aunt Tamika won four Olympic gold medals, was named WNBA MVP, and was a 10-time All-Star for the Indiana Fever
