UNC basketball 5-star reclassifies and immediately upgrades from Caleb Love

Who needs Caleb Love? UNC basketball received some great news on Tuesday morning, as top-ranked junior Elliot Cadeau is reclassifying. 

While high school to college basketball is a massive jump for most prospects, Elliot Cadeau is not ‘most prospects’. The Link Academy player is reclassifying, thus adding another important weapon to UNC’s 2023 team after Caleb Love and others left the program.

“I think I am ready for college basketball,” Cadeau told Inside Carolina on April 22. “I think I could play at that next level next year because I played against a lot of high major guards this season and I think I was better than all of them.”

UNC basketball starting lineup with Elliot Cadeau

Cadeau will enroll on June 10 and join the basketball program for offseason workouts. Should all go according to plan, the Tar Heels starting lineup could look a little like this:

1. Elliot Cadeau
2. RJ Davis
3. Cormac Ryan
4. Harrison Ingram
5. Armando Bacot

247sports recruiting analyst Travis Branham considers Cadeau a shot creator, which is exactly what the Heels need going into next season. Too often they settled for poor shot selection in 2022, which resulted in a season in which they missed the tournament.

“He creates at will, able to get his own buckets, see the open man, and elevate those around him,” Branham said. “He’s shifty with the ball with a quick burst of speed that keeps his defenders on their heels. He is an elite point guard with as high of a floor as they come in the (2024) class – making for what will be a true college star in the year(s) ahead.”

His head coach at Link Academy, Bill Armstrong, outlined Cadeau’s game as a “floor general” and “one of the most athletic players I’ve ever coached.”

While the jump from high school to college will be difficult for Cadeau, he’s surrounded by veteran players and a head coach who will help him make that leap responsibly.