Hicks accepts UNC's offer

It only took Raleigh Body of Christ junior Isaiah Hicks four hours Monday night to accept North Carolina’s scholarship offer.

“It was my dream school,” the 6-feet-9, 198-pound power forward said Tuesday, “So why wait?”

Hicks, who is originally from Oxford, is currently rated a five-star recruit, and the fifth-ranked power forward prospect in the Class of 2013 by scout.com. He becomes the first player to verbally commit to UNC in that class. A life-long Carolina fan, he was also being recruited by Clemson, N.C. State and Wake Forest, among others.

“When he got the offer, he just smiled,’’ Body of Christ coach Darryl Harris said. “It’s what he’s always wanted."

Hicks, who made an unofficial visit to Chapel Hill with his parents and Harris on Monday, said he chose UNC because of its coaches, academics, and the players who starred there before him.

He averaged about 15.5 points during Body of Christ’s inaugural season in 2010-11, Harris said, and has been working on expanding his shooting range and overall skills.

“In the last two years, he’s already grown about two inches – from 6-7 to almost 6-9,’’ Harris said. “… He has that kind of game where he can go out on the perimeter, he’s just started to do that. He can hit shots from at least 3-point range, and dribble the ball more, turning into 3 … he’s grown so much in the last year, and I can only imagine what more he can do in the next two [seasons].”

Hicks said he had no doubts about committing so early; now, he added, he just wants to become the best player he can before college: “This is what I wanted, and now I just want to make the most of it.”