UNC basketball lands big time center out of Spain
North Carolina's basketball program has secured a major commitment from 7-foot center Sayon Keita, a top international prospect from Mali, who chose the Tar Heels over other top programs. The addition comes one day after another key recruit and addresses a pressing need in the frontcourt following Henri Veesaar's NBA departure. Keita, represented by Gersh Sports, is considered a polished offensive player and a projected 2027 NBA lottery pick. Head coach Michael Malone and his staff continue to strengthen the 2026-27 roster with high-impact recruits.
- ▪Sayon Keita, a 7-foot center from Mali, verbally committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
- ▪Keita is represented by Gersh Sports and was recruited by head coach Michael Malone.
- ▪He is projected as a potential 2027 NBA lottery pick and brings strong offensive skills.
- ▪The commitment follows Cade Bennerman's pledge and fills a void left by Henri Veesaar's exit.
- ▪Keita's addition highlights North Carolina's focus on international talent for roster development.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unc-basketball-lands-big-time-215249281.html","headline":"UNC basketball lands big time center out of Spain","datePublished":"2026-04-28T21:52:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-28T21:52:49.000Z","keywords":["North Carolina Tar Heels","Michael Malone","Sayon Keita","Gersh Sports"],"description":"The UNC basketball program lands international center Sayon Keita","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo Sports","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/cv/apiv2/default/icons/favicon_y112_112.png","width":112,"height":112},"url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Zack Pearson, Tar Heels…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Yahoo Sports
