Entering year four under coach Hubert Davis, North Carolina garnered attention in numerous discussions this offseason regarding their incoming recruiting class, their deep arsenal of veteran and rookie guards and also, their lack of what most would consider an “elite” frontcourt after the departure of Armando Bacot.
With a mix of established and moving pieces to put together ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Tar Heels are looking to be the blue blood they’ve always been. But in similar fashion to last year, the reasons behind anticipated success may come with surprises.
Last season, the unexpected catalysts for the Tar Heels were the versatility of transfer forward Harrison Ingram and freshman Elliot Cadeau’s playmaing ability.
Cadeau’s ability to create open looks, Ingram’s emergence as a key scorer, defender and rebounder and a historic season from RJ Davis pushed UNC to a 29-8 overall record (17-3 in the ACC) and a finish as the ACC’s top team in the regular season.
cThe Tar Heels didn’t achieve the ACC title as they lost to NC State in the conference tournament final, but they made a run to the Sweet 16 and fell just short of an Elite Eight appearance after an 89-87 defeat to Alabama.
That loss marked the end of UNC careers for the program’s all-time rebound leader Bacot, sharpshooters Cormac Ryan and Paxon Wojcik and Ingram, who was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs.
To help replace the void that Bacot left, the Tar Heels brought in transfer forwards Ty Claude (previously at Georgia Tech) and Ven-Allen Lubin (previously at Vanderbilt), who don’t have the most size but are solid rebounders.
UNC also welcomed transfer forward Cade Tyson from Belmont where he shot 44.6 % from three in two seasons.
Yet, arguably, the most anticipated newcomers are the freshmen. Five-star Ian Jackson looks to be an elite scorer with athleticism while the other five-star Drake Powell looks to bring a strong defensive presence and another versatile offensive option.
Freshman James Brown, who stands at 6-foot-10, could work his way into the rotation behind forward Jalen Washington, giving the Tar Heels another big man who can use his size to impact both sides of the floor.
As far as the returners, Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers will look to step into bigger roles this season with Bacot and Ingram moving on. At 6-foot-9, Withers can match up well against taller opponents and be of more help on the boards, similar to how Ingram played last year.
With the mix of returners, freshmen and transfers, Davis will have to make some tough decisions on who gets playing time and what lineups work best.
The best case for UNC will be to establish chemistry amongst its key lineups by the start of ACC play. There will be lots of new faces in new roles for the Tar Heels, and its non-conference slate will be a good opportunity for certain lineups to learn how to play together in various situations against various opponents. This will be especially crucial for the guards as Cadeau, Davis and Jackson can all be dangerous with the ball in their hands.
The problem is there’s only one ball, and roles may have to adjust to maintain a constantly moving offense.
But with moving roles may come a surprise breakout year similar to Ingram. Withers, Trimble and Powell come to mind as guys that can provide a much-needed spark on both sides of the floor while also doing the dirty work with hustle plays.
However, making the many pieces fit together won’t be the biggest concern for the Tar Heels.
As they begin to play elite teams with more size in the frontcourt, opponents will try to go at Washington, who hasn’t yet shown to be a consistent force against other big men of his size.
Washington and the rest of the UNC frontcourt will be put to the test in key games against Kansas (Nov. 8 away), Alabama (Dec. 4 at home), Duke (Feb. 1 away and March 8 at home), Clemson (Feb. 10 away) and NC State (Feb. 19 at home). The Tar Heels’ date with the Jayhawks at their place will be an early indicator of how Washington can silence the noise when he goes up against 7-foot-2 center Hunter Dickinson.
As much as the frontcourt is a question mark, the Tar Heels have plenty of talent to be a really good team come March. They just have to put the pieces together in enough time for the squad to jell as one when it matters.
