Just days after he included Ohio State in his Top 10, Pickerington Central four-star point guard Jeremiah Francis opted to end his recruitment by committing to North Carolina.
TARHEELNATION
— Jeremiah Francis (@JFrancis30_) August 11, 2017
Blessedhttps://t.co/X9eNfvv6Bm?amp=1 pic.twitter.com/2LoidV4S6Q
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Francis is considered the top-rated player in the state and seventh-best point guard prospect in the Class of 2019, as he pitched in 15.9 points per game to lead the Tigers to the state semifinals last season. He is the son of Jerry Francis, a 1,000-point scorer for the Buckeyes back in the 1980s.
“The process, it’s long but it’s a journey I want to go through,” Francis told Eleven Warriors back in March. “It gets irritating sometimes and I argue with my dad about it. But Ohio State is Ohio State and it’s right here, it’s home. [My dad] went there and I want to be better than my dad and we always argue about that.”
While the Buckeyes transitioned from long-time head coach Thad Matta to Chris Holtmann this offseason, the Tar Heels made Francis a priority. According to Zach Fleer of 270 Hoops, North Carolina sent multiple coaches to each AAU game he played in this summer.
That, plus coach Roy Williams' knack for sending point guards to the next level, made all the difference for Francis.
"It factored in a lot," Francis said. "Coach Williams loves his point guard and I feel he can take me to the next level as a person and player
Francis will be reunited in Chapel Hill with former Pickerington Central teammate and three-star power forward Sterling Manley, who signed with the Tar Heels as part of their 2017 recruiting class.
