Watch streaming broadcasts as UNC’s shot-blocking transfer Okonkwo plays three games this weekend at European Championships

By R.L. Bynum

This weekend, you’ll get three more chances to watch Carolina junior transfer James Okonkwo play for Great Britain at the FIBA European Championships Division B in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Okonkwo has averaged a double-double through four games at 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, leading his team in both categories. His rebounding average and 14.5 rebounds per 40 minutes both are second in the tournament.

He averages 2.5 blocks per game (tied for third in the tournament) while shooting 50.9% from the floor (ninth) and 75% at the free-throw line. On the downside, he is third in the tournament with five turnovers per game and 6.6 per 40 minutes.

He’s shown plenty of aggressiveness under the glass, relentlessness in traffic inside, and shot-blocking prowess, including six blocks in Tuesday’s 57–54 win over Hungary.

Great Britain (2–2) is the only two-loss team to make the quarterfinals. The British team faces host North Macedonia (3–1) at 12:30 p.m. ET Friday.

All games are streamed here. If the quarterfinals broadcasts are the same as during pool play, the only audio is from the arena with no announcers.

With a victory, Great Britain would face the Netherlands-Ukraine winner at 12:30 p.m. in Saturday’s semifinals. Even if Okonkwo’s team loses, it will play consolation games, starting with a game against the Netherlands-Ukraine loser at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

If the British team doesn’t make the 3 p.m. Sunday gold-medal game, it will play an earlier consolation game that day.



DateMonth/dayScoreOpponent/event
(current ranks)
Record
October
27FridayW, 117–53vs. St. Augustine’sExhibition
November
6MondayW, 86–70vs. Radford1–0
12SundayW, 90–68vs. Lehigh2–0
17FridayW, 77–52vs. UC Riverside3–0
Battle 4 Atlantis
in the Bahamas
22WednesdayW, 91–69Northern Iowa4–0
23ThursdayL, 83–81, OTVillanova4–1
24FridayW, 87–72Arkansas5–1
ACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
29WednesdayW, 100–92vs. No. 6 Tennessee6–1
December
2SaturdayW, 78–70vs. Florida State7–1,
1–0 ACC
Jimmy V Classic
in New York
5TuesdayL, 87–67No. 1 Connecticut7–2
CBS Sports Classic
in Atlanta
16SaturdayL, 87–83No. 12 Kentucky7–3
Jumpman Invitational
in Charlotte
20WednesdayW, 81–69Oklahoma8–3
—————————
29FridayW, 105–60vs. Charleston Southern9–3
January
2TuesdayW, 70–57at Pittsburgh10–3, 2–0 ACC
6SaturdayW, 65–55at Clemson11–3, 3–0 ACC
10WednesdayW, 67–54at N.C. State12–3, 4–0 ACC
13SaturdayW, 103–67vs. Syracuse13–3, 5–0 ACC
17WednesdayW, 86–70vs. Louisville14–3, 6–0 ACC
20SaturdayW, 76–66vs. Boston College15–3, 7–0 ACC
22MondayW, 85–64vs. Wake Forest16–3, 8–0 ACC
27SaturdayW, 75–68at Florida State17–3, 9–0 ACC
30TuesdayL, 74–73at Georgia Tech17–4, 9–1 ACC
February
3SaturdayW, 93–84vs. No. 13 Duke18–4, 10–1 ACC
6TuesdayL, 80–76vs. Clemson18–5, 10–2 ACC
10SaturdayW, 75–72at Miami19–5, 11–2 ACC
13TuesdayL, 86–79at Syracuse19–6, 11–3 ACC
17SaturdayW, 96–81vs. Virginia Tech20–6, 12–3 ACC
24SaturdayW, 54–44at Virginia21–6, 13–3 ACC
26MondayW, 75–71vs. Miami22–6, 14–3 ACC
March
2SaturdayW, 79–70vs. N.C. State23–6, 15–3 ACC
5TuesdayW, 84–51vs. Notre Dame24–6, 16–3 ACC
9SaturdayW, 84–79at No. 13 Duke25–6, 17–3 ACC
ACC tournament
Washington
14ThursdayW, 92–67Quarterfinals:
Florida State
26–6
15FridayW, 72–65Semifinals:
Pittsburgh
27–6
16SaturdayL, 84–76Final:
N.C. State
27–7
NCAA tournament
21ThursdayW, 90–62First round in Charlotte:
Wagner
28–7
23SaturdayW, 85–69Second round in Charlotte:
Michigan State
29–7
28ThursdayL, 89–87Sweet 16 in Los Angeles:
No. 19 Alabama
29–8


Key events, dates

Saturday, April 27, was the deadline for players to submit their names to the NBA draft
Wednesday — Transfer portal closes
May 11–12 — NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago
May 12–19 — NBA Combine in Chicago
May 17–19 — Evaluation for high school players at NCAA-certified events (EYBL in Indianapolis is one of those)
May 29 at 11:59 p.m. — Deadline to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 16 at 5 p.m. — Deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft


UNC schedule so far

Nov. 8 — at Kansas (final AP rank No. 20; final NET ranking No. 19)
Nov. 22 — at Hawaii (final NET ranking No. 172)
Nov. 25–27 — Maui Invitational — Auburn (final AP rank No. 18; final NET ranking No. 5), Colorado (unranked; No. 25), Connecticut (No. 1; No. 2), Dayton (No. 24; No. 23), Iowa State (No. 8; No. 6), Memphis (unranked; No. 75), Michigan State (unranked; No. 24)
Dec. 14 — vs. La Salle (final NET ranking No. 195)
Likely in late November — Opponent TBA in ACC/SEC Challenge
December — vs. UCLA (final NET ranking No. 107) in CBS Sports Classic (date, location TBA)
December — vs. Florida (final NET ranking No. 29) in Jumpman Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center (date TBA)
— Games home and away against Duke, N.C. State and Pittsburgh
— Home games vs. Boston College, California, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
— Road games vs. Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Note: 2024 NCAA tournament teams are in bold.


Potential 2024-25 UNC roster

No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
FreshmanJames Brown (4 star)56–8225
FreshmanIan Jackson (5 star)26–4180
FreshmanDrake Powell (5 star)26–5185
2Soph.Elliot Cadeau PG6–1180
1Soph.Zayden High46–9225
JuniorCade Tyson36–7203
13JuniorJalen Washington56–10230
0JuniorSeth Trimble26–3195
5GraduateRJ DavisPG6–0180
Eligible for fifth season
24GraduateJae’Lyn Withers 46–9215
Walk-ons eligible for 5th season
14GraduateCreighton LeboPG6–1180
22GraduateRob Landry26–4190

Photo courtesy of FIBA

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