Cam Whitmore, 2022 4-star, cuts list to 3

Cam Whitmore, a 6-foot-6 small forward out of Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding tells On3 he is down to three schools – North Carolina, Villanova, and Illinois.

Whitmore has visited each of his finalists but does currently not have a timetable for a commitment.

Georgetown, Maryland, Notre Dame, Louisville, Florida, Penn State, and Miami have been cut from his previous top list of schools.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Newly-appointed head coach Hubert Davis and staff have already seen success on the recruiting trail for the class of 2022.

The Tar Heels have grabbed four-star center Jalen Washington, four-star point guard Seth Trimble, and three-star center Will Shaver. These three studs give North Carolina a top-5 ranked recruiting class and they may not be done just yet.

Cam Whitmore, who had as strong a summer as anyone on the circuit, might be the final piece to the puzzle. UNC is likely recruiting Whitmore harder than anyone else in the class.

Although North Carolina will lose Leaky Black, there could still be competition when it comes to playing time. UNC still has Kerwin Walton, Puff Johnson, Dontrez Styles, and Justin McCoy, all of whom will share time on the wing.

Villanova Wildcats

Whitmore is a priority at each of the programs he’s considering but Villanova is already armed with decent firing power at the small forward position.

Let’s break it down. The Wildcats will lose Brandon Slater and Caleb Daniels who play heavy minutes on the wing. Justin Moore could declare for the draft after this season if he has a strong year. Villanova is also bringing in Trey Patterson and Jordan Longino, both of which will likely spend time on the wing. It’s also unlikely either Patterson or Longino declare for the draft after the season.

Whitmore, whose stock is higher than ever, could potentially beat out others on the roster if he can perform. You also have to consider the proximity of Villanova’s campus. Only two hours away from his home in Maryland, friends and family could come see him play every home game.

While playing time wouldn’t be guaranteed, Villanova does have its perks and might actually be the favorite to land Whitmore. The Wildcats are always consistently a high-level program. Jay Wright has a rich history of developing his players, and Whitmore could be next.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois is another interesting option for Whitmore, considering rising freshmen Luke Goode,  Brandin Podziemski, and Ramses Melendez are all capable of playing the wing position.

For what it’s worth, Whitmore would be the highest rated within that group, although rankings do not matter once you enter college.

There would be plenty of opportunity for Whitmore under Brad Underwood. Illinois saw success last season, finishing second in the Big 10 conference. But will it be intriguing enough to land Cam Whitmore? We shall see.