Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the video board during practice prior to NCAA Tournament at West Regional at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tar Heels Make Cut for Coveted Frontcourt Prospect

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 9:00 AM ET

As we get closer and closer to the end of the summer, some of the top basketball recruits in the country start to make their final decisions on where they want to go to play at the next level.

Four-star power forward Quinn Costello, one of North Carolina’s primary targets, has included the Tar Heels in his top six schools. Joining Carolina are Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, and Texas. Before picking his final six schools, Costello also received offers from schools including Illinois, Ohio State, Syracuse, Tennessee, and Villanova.

Costello is a consensus Top 75 prospect nationally, with On3 being the most favorable with a No. 28 overall and No. 5 power forward ranking nationally.

Get to Know Quinn Costello
*All quotes come from interviews he did with 247Sports and On3

Describing His Play Style:

“I’d say I’m a 6’10”, long, versatile, wing forward,” Costello told On3. “I play a lot of the floor, I guard more fours and fives than threes, but I’d say I’m pretty flexible. I can really shoot it, that’s like my number one strength. I’ve been known as a knockdown shooter for most of my life, but I’ve started to do a lot more, like putting on the floor, driving closeouts, offensive rebounding, running the floor, all that stuff.”

What He’s Looking for in a Program

“The relationship piece is going to be big for me,” Costello said. “I’m most successful when coaches really trust me, and I really trust coaches, and we have a super strong, unbreakable relationship. I say it a lot, and I hate to say it, but if basketball doesn’t work out, I’m still at a school where I’m set up for success.”

UNC’s Intial Interest and Relationship with UNC Head coach Hubert Davis

"The first person I heard from, from them, was Jeff Lebo, an assistant. A week or two later I got a call from Coach Davis around the 4th of July," Costello said in July. "He extended the offer. He's super interested in me. He's an awesome coach and an awesome guy. He values relationships with his players and that's something that's important to me."

Final Thoughts

Costello, who has drawn attention for his combination of size, skill and shooting range, is weighing factors such as coaching relationships and program culture as he evaluates his options. North Carolina’s early and consistent pursuit could give the Tar Heels an advantage as recruitment heats up.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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