Throughout GEICO Nationals, questions about the future of star Link Academy point guard Elliot Cadeau were swirling: Would the five-star player reclassify and enroll early at North Carolina?
In the two months since Link Academy won the national tournament, Cadeau considered his decision while playing in the Nike EYBL. He told ESPN on Tuesday that he has decided to join UNC next season, saying he believes he’s ready.
“There’s no reason to stay in high school, because I can hang with college players right now,” Cadeau said to the outlet.
Cadeau will be eligible to enter the 2024 NBA draft.
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard has elite vision and passing skills. He helped lead Link Academy to a 27-1 record capped by the GEICO Nationals championship, during which he broke the tournament’s assist record by dishing 29 dimes over three games. He is currently leading the Nike EYBL with 9.3 assists per game, according to ESPN, which reported that in his game on Monday, he led New Heights Lightning (13-4) with 29 points and 15 assists.
With his reclassification to the class of 2023, Cadeau is ranked on the 247Sports Composite as the second-best point guard and No. 12 player in the class.
Cadeau is North Carolina’s highest-ranked incoming freshman. The Tar Heels will have a very different roster next season, with a pair of four-star freshman joining Cadeau and four incoming transfers — led by former five-star player Harrison Ingram — who will suit up for the team.
Cadeau is the first five-star player to enter the North Carolina as a freshman since 2020, when the Tar Heels recruited a trio of elite prospects in Caleb Love, Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler.
