By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina’s three-player freshman class is No. 15 in ESPN’s women’s basketball recruiting rankings released on Monday.
Former Charlotte Catholic 6–5 center Blanca Thomas leads the group and is ranked No. 32 on ESPN’s individual rankings. Reclassified No. 59 5–9 guard Lanie Grant from Midlothian, Va., and No. 69 5–11 guard Jordan Zubich from Mountain Iron, Minn., are also headed to Chapel Hill for their first seasons.
Of Thomas, ESPN writer Shane Laflin says she “is one of the best bigs in the country and stands at an intimidating 6–5. She protects the paint and is a tough cover on the block. She also has a sweet stroke from the 3.”
Thomas will be at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs beginning Wednesday for the start of tryouts for the U.S. team that will compete in the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup, which will be June 17–23 in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Laflin calls Grant “a fundamental guard with a reputation for being a 3-point threat” adding, “She will help them fill a need at the point guard position.”
He calls Zubich a “knock-down shooter” who “hunts down shots well and provides a fundamental floor spacer for the Tar Heels.”
UNC is one of eight ACC schools on the list of 26, including No. 6 Louisville, No. 7 Duke, No. 12 Georgia Tech, No. 17 N.C. State, No. 18 Miami, No. 19 Stanford and No. 22 Cal.
Topping the list is Southern Cal, followed by UConn at No. 2 and South Carolina at No. 3.
In On3’s post-spring Top 25 released Monday, UNC is No. 18. Other ACC teams on the list are No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 9 N.C. State, No. 10 Duke, No. 13 Louisville and No. 21 Florida State.
Projected roster if all players with eligibility other than Lanie Grant and Taliyah Henderson return, with years listed for next season (3 under the 15-player limit)
| Year | No./ Stars | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 5 star | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 4 star | Noelle Bofia | F | 6–4 | |
| Sophomore | 5 | Liza Astakhova | W | 6–2 | |
| Sophomore | 7 | Nyla Brooks | W | 6–1 | |
| Sophomore | 26 | Taissa Queiroz | G | 6–1 | |
| Junior | 17 | Elina Aarnisalo | G | 5–10 | |
| Junior | 34 | Blanca Thomas | C | 6–5 | |
| Junior | 1 | Jordan Zubich | G | 5–11 | |
| RS junior | 21 | Ciera Toomey | F | 6–4 | |
| RS junior | 4 | Laila Hull | W | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 10 | Reniya Kelly | G | 5–7 | |
| Senior | 15 | Sydney Barker | G | 5–6 |
Entering transfer portal
Guard Lanie Grant, a rising junior
Forward Taliyah Henderson, a rising sophomore
Photo courtesy of USA Basketball
