The future of North Carolina basketball is arriving earlier than originally expected. Five-star junior point guard Elliot Cadeau has finalized his decision to reclassify into the 2023 class, his family confirmed to Inside Carolina.
“I think I am ready for college basketball,” Cadeau told Inside Carolina on April 22. “I think I could play at that next level next year because I played against a lot of high major guards this season and I think I was better than all of them.”
The Cadeau family confirmed to Inside Carolina that he will arrive in Chapel Hill to enroll on June 10, joining the 2023-24 Tar Heels for offseason workouts. The top-ranked point guard in the 2024 class, Cadeau committed to UNC on Dec. 28, 2022. Though he had five junior year official visits available, Cadeau only took trips to Texas Tech, UNC, and Louisville. He took his Chapel Hill visit in October, and committed on Dec. 28.
Cadeau’s reclass comes after four dominant weekends on Nike’s EYBL circuit – grassroots basketball’s most competitive league. Through the 17-game regular season slate, Cadeau averaged 15.7 points (50.0 FG%, 35.4 3pt%, 87.9 FT%), 9.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. He posted a remarkable assist-to-turnover ratio of 4:1, while leading New Heights Lightning to a 13-4 EYBL record.
“He creates at will, able to get his own buckets, see the open man, and elevate those around him,” said 247Sports national recruiting analyst Travis Branham. “He’s shifty with the ball with a quick burst of speed that keeps his defenders on their heels. He is an elite point guard with as high of a floor as they come in the (2024) class – making for what will be a true college star in the year(s) ahead.
Cadeau has played at the highest levels of high school competition, leading Link Academy to the Geico Nationals title last month – the unofficial national championship of high school basketball. He’s also been tested on the international stage, playing for Team Sweden (his mother is a native and Cadeau is a dual citizen). He was named MVP at the FIBA U18 European Championship last year, and joined the senior national team to play in the World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year.
