It was a big day here in North Carolina, as one of the top prospects in the country and certainly in the state announced his commitment to stay at home and play for the Tar Heels. 2025 6’5 Isaiah Denis, a Top 100 prospect in the country, announced on Saturday that he would be staying home and playing for Coach Davis and North Carolina.
Phenom Hoops had an EXCLUSIVE interview with him about his decision, as he talked about why UNC was the place for him, what it meant to build that relationship, and his overall journey through this exciting time.
Commitment Article: https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/2025-isaiah-denis-announces-his-commitment-to-north-carolina/
Phenom: In the end, you are staying home here in North Carolina. What was it about the Tar Heels that made them the place for you in the end?
Denis: I would say just the culture and the way the coaches presented everything to me. With them being North Carolina, a lot of times those blue-blood schools won’t recruit you as hard simply because of who they are and their name. But Coach Davis and his staff did a great job, coming to see me every week, showing me why they needed me, and why they wanted me. I could also see that I fit their playing style, and everything else just checked the box. Overall, it was just the relationship. Obviously being in my home state, God just told me that this was the school for me, so just following God.
Phenom: When you got that offer from UNC, what did it mean to you?
Denis: It was very exciting. My dad reminded me that we saw another player that got a UNC offer, so I was wondering why they didn’t offer me. But then the next week we had a tournament, and I just went crazy. So getting that offer, it was just a testament that they saw something in me and them just recruiting me hard, building a relationship; it meant a lot especially being in-state. A lot of players don’t get that.
Phenom: How has your relationship been growing over your recruitment with the staff at North Carolina?
Denis: Coach Davis is a family-oriented person and so am I, so we kind of hit it off early on. It was an instant click the first time I talked to him; he is a funny guy, so we laugh a lot. And I always say that if I can’t laugh around you, I can’t be around you. With my coach, I always wanted to have an off-the-court relationship where we could laugh and joke, but you could also push me on the court and be good off the court. The rest of the coaching staff was really welcoming. Everyone was so welcoming on my visit, and it was just a good feeling.
Phenom: Obviously you very familiar with the style of play and the talent they have been able to bring in. How do you think you will be able to fit into their system?
Denis: My speed because I know how they like to get up and down in transition, I just feel like I’m best in that area. So being able to push the ball in the open floor, getting into the offense, going to create a bucket, or getting others involved; just being a playmaker whether it is for myself or for my teammates. Just looking to create a good shot consistently overall. Also my defensive impact, my versatility in being able to guard 1-4, both on and off the ball. I feel like I can bring a lot of versatility, along with shooting ability, and leadership.
Phenom: Now looking back, what has this journey been like for you overall?
Denis: It is just a testament to hard work. If you had told me that I would have been getting an offer from UNC and other schools when I was younger, I would have had some thought that it would be true but also not really because people didn’t know who I was. But just staying down, letting the work speak for itself, and keeping God number one, as he will always lead you the right way. All the hard work has paid off and it was a great feeling.
Phenom: With the decision now behind you, what will be your focus?
Denis: Just playing basketball, enjoying friends, and enjoying my senior year. I definitely want to enjoy this year, spend time with people off the court, and just enjoy my time. When everyone goes off to college, everyone goes on different paths. So I just want to enjoy my time, stay locked into basketball to get better every day, and just continue to grind to get to the next goal which is the NBA.