By R.L. Bynum
Sydney Barker turned down mid-major scholarship offers for a chance to walk on to her dreams in Chapel Hill.
Even before wearing a Carolina uniform, the 5–6 freshman point guard from Durham’s Jordan High School already cherishes her choice.
“I think there have been a million wow moments since I’ve been here because it’s just so crazy growing up and dreaming about it and finally doing it,” said Barker, who joined the rest of the talented North Carolina women’s basketball team convening on campus last month. “Every day that I get to walk out in the tunnel and go practice, being in Carmichael and playing in it, that’s just a huge wow moment for me.”
The DAC-VII Conference Player of the Year the last two seasons, who averaged 27.8 points as a senior, plays against the best players in the state at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the North Carolina Coaches Association Women’s East-West All-Star Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
“When you come and watch our practice, you will not think she’s a walk-on,” said Coach Courtney Banghart, who welcomes a freshman walk-on for the first time at Carolina.
She had to be the envy of Tar Heels for high school road games with “Jordan 23” on the front. She’ll wear No. 15 at UNC since the school retired Charlotte Smith’s No. 23.
Barker, who turned 19 Sunday, holds Jordan school records for career points (1,626), points in a season (777 last season) and points in a game (49 against East Chapel Hill on Jan. 31 in an 80–38 win).
She made the 12-player highschoolOT.com All-State first team, along with five-star Class of 2024 UNC commitment Blanca Thomas of Charlotte Catholic. Barker played one season of AAU ball last summer with Thomas on the CP3 Flames after playing the three previous years for that team when it was known as the Garner Flames.
When these are the accolades of the walk-on member of a team that includes six five-star players and five four-star players, it’s more evidence that the Tar Heels will be tough to beat.
“She’s a little bit undersized, of course,” Banghart said. “But so am I, and I’m doing all right. I think she’s a really special addition. She’s adored by her teammates, and this Carolina blue means something to her. And so you have that in the locker room every day, as well as a kid that can score — it’s a win.”
Barker knew there was a lot of basketball talent on the roster, but she says she learned the best part once on campus.
“The people make the place, and I’m grateful to be at a program where the coaches have recruited such high-quality people,” said Barker, who scored at least 30 points 12 times last season. “I know that’s something I’ll be grateful for for the rest of my time here. It’s cool to be around such great players because you just get to walk in the gym every day and be challenged.”
Barker is part of a highly touted freshman class that includes four state players of the year: five-star stretch forward Ciera Toomey, four-star point guard Reniya Kelly, four-star forward RyLee Grays and wing Laila Hull.
“It’s awesome,” Barker said of her class. “I hadn’t really met them before we got on campus. Not only are they great basketball players, but they are the best people ever. And it’s been awesome in this past month to be surrounded by such great people because you’re getting used to the environment; your body’s taking a hit. It can be mentally challenging. But, with them, I feel like I just have a support system.”
She’ll fit right in on a team that had regular Bible study last season.
“My faith is just a big part of my everyday life,” said Baker, an active Fellowship of Christian Athletes member.
It didn’t matter that the sharp-shooting Barker could have played more elsewhere or that there were no guarantees Carolina would admit her.
Born to be a Tar Heel, she has grandparents in the Rams Club. Her parents are UNC alums (her mom has an undergraduate degree and two graduate degrees), have had season football and basketball tickets for years, and took her to a Smith Center game when she was two months old. She saw her first women’s game with friends at Carmichael Arena as a third- or fourth-grader.
“When I was looking for a school, it wasn’t strictly, ‘oh, where am I going to play the most?’ A lot of programs promise you that time. But when you get there, everyone’s gonna have the same experience and it’s gonna be hard, and you’re gonna have to work for it,” Barker said. “I wanted to go somewhere where the basketball was great, which here, is a no-brainer. It’s just an awesome thing to be around.”
Being close to home was important, and Baker was also eager to embrace the academics and be a regular student.
“I didn’t want basketball to be my whole identity, and I think this school gives me an opportunity to do so much more than just play basketball, even though the basketball is one of the coolest parts,” said Barker, who plans to major in biology. “The love for the collective, for the team, is going to outweigh needing to get the minutes that I want.”
Barkley was thankful for scholarship offers from Charlotte, Wofford, Furman, UNCW, Appalachian State and East Carolina, and she also drew interest from Harvard. There were no ACC offers, and a UNC scholarship was unlikely, so she tried to carve out a path to her dream.
“When I was coming down to deciding if I wanted to go to a mid-major or UNC, I just felt in my heart that I wanted to go to UNC, so I called Coach Banghart,” said Barker, who asked Banghart on that June 2022 call about walking on.
Read about UNC’s freshmen
Five-star forward Ciera Toomey
— Big-time UNC recruit Toomey’s love for Carolina, the state stoked years ago during Pinehurst golf trip
— Five-star UNC recruit Toomey leads team to state title 10 months after ACL surgery
Four-star point guard Reniya Kelly
— Dynamic UNC guard recruit Reniya Kelly won first of four state titles at age 12; at 7, ‘Broadway’ wanted to be great
Four-star forward RyLee Grays
— Funny off court, intense on court, 4-star Grays will give UNC versatile skills for 6–3 player
Indiana Miss Basketball wing Laila Hull
— Hull, a sharpshooting, versatile wing, has expanded, refined her game after talent was evident at an early age
Walk-on guard Sydney Barker
— Barker walking on at UNC to follow dream
Banghart — who says Barker is a “no-brainer in terms of a culture fit” — loved the idea. But after talking to Admissions, Banghart delivered potentially bad news to Barker and her family in September.
“I had to look them in the eye and say, ‘I can’t guarantee she’ll get into Carolina,’ ” said Banghart, who says the process is different when offering a scholarship. “Sid looked me right back in the eye and said, ‘It’s always been my dream to wear a Carolina uniform, so I’m going to invest in myself.’ ”
Banghart wanted to keep her one available scholarship entering the season open in case she wanted to bring in a midseason scholarship transfer.
“I didn’t know if I was going get in, so I took that risk. And then I just waited until January to see if I got in,” said Barker.
Barker knew where she wanted to go and didn’t want to mislead other schools into thinking she might pick them. “I don’t think I could play that with another school,” she said. So Barker told them all no, waited to hear from the Admissions department and hoped.
Thanks to Barker being a smart young woman, it was a smart decision because she got word on Jan. 31 that she was accepted. Even though Barker boasted a 4.35 GPA at Jordan, she wasn’t assuming anything.
“They only accept a certain number from Durham and Chapel Hill because there’s so many kids that apply,” Barker said. “From September to January, it was a risk. I knew that. I was hoping that my grades would be enough to get into the school. I didn’t really have a plan if I didn’t get in. I think I would have had to contact some of the schools back. That was just my plan A is getting into UNC, so I’m grateful that it worked out.”
She was thrilled that she needed no Plan B, and was excited on senior night to see Banghart and Liz Roberts, promoted to general manager and special assistant to the head coach last month, walk into Jordan’s gym. They had been on a trip, and Barker wasn’t sure they would make it in time.
“It was super cool, especially because I didn’t know she was coming,” Barker said. “We just started playing, and I saw the little blue polo come in right near the entrance. And I was like, ‘this is super-awesome.’ ”
Barker treated them to a show, pouring in 44 points, more than tripling the total of Northern Durham in a 74–9 victory.
Complete statistics from her senior season aren’t available, but she shot 61% from the floor (61 of 84) and 68% from 3-point range (13 of 19) as a junior.
With four lead guards on UNC’s roster — all either five-star (senior Deja Kelly) or four-star (red-shirt sophomore Kayla McPherson, sophomore Paulina Paris and freshman Reniya Kelly) — Barker knows she won’t get playing time like she did during her four-year high school career.
But she weighed all that when she made her college choice.
“I think when I was making the decision, I knew it was going to be a factor,” she said of playing time. “So, I already know what’s going to come with that. But I think every day, my mindset is coming in and helping the group get better — whatever that may be — as a team. If that means that I need to cheer really loud or need to communicate or I need to help one of the other point guards — whatever that may be. I just keep reminding myself that it’s bigger than myself. And I know that’ll be an adjustment at first because I have played for a while and have been lucky enough to play good minutes.”
Barker contends that even if she had picked a mid-major program, the playing time wouldn’t have automatically come to her, and it would have been hard.
“It’s not just going to be given to you,” Barker said. “So, my mindset is to come in, work hard, do whatever I can to help the team and just see what happens from there.”
There is an excellent example of excelling as a walk-on in Roberts, who was a freshman walk-on under Coach Sylvia Hatchell. Banghart gave her a scholarship and added her to the program staff after graduation.
Barker was impressed listening to a couple of Roberts’ star teammates, Jamie Cherry and Taylor Koenig, tell her about Roberts’ important role on their teams.
“They said that Liz helped them through a lot in practice. Over the four years, whatever that may be, Liz was awesome,” Barker said. “It was super-cool to see somebody already having done that and coming out on the other side.”
Barker’s father played football and basketball in high school, and her 13-year-old brother plays basketball and golf. She started playing basketball at age three, and by seventh or eighth grade, she realized she was good enough to play in college.
Her talent on the court got recruiters’ attention, but the “culture fit” that Banghart praised may have the clincher to make her Carolina-blue dreams possible. When told of Banghart’s comments, Barker said she felt honored that her coach felt that way.
“I think one of the biggest things I’ve always enjoyed about playing basketball is playing with other people and trying to be a really good teammate and encourage others,” Barker said, trying to explain why Banghart sees that fit.
“I love when the full collective succeeds,” Barker said. “When they saw me playing AAU, that could have been what she was referring to. I love having fun with my teammates and really celebrating others and playing together. And it’s cool that way, when you win and everybody’s a part of it, it’s just really rewarding. And I love to come in and get better.”
Whatever her role, Baker promises to be a positive force on a Tar Heels team with limitless potential.
| Date | Day/month | Score | Opponent/event (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | ||||
| 8 | Wednesday | W, 102–49 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 1–0 |
| 12 | Sunday | W, 74–70 | vs. Davidson | 2–0 |
| 15 | Wednesday | W, 62–32 | vs. Hampton | 3–0 |
| 18 | Saturday | W, 68–39 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
| Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. | ||||
| 24 | Friday | W, 54–51 | Vermont | 5–0 |
| 25 | Saturday | L, 63–56 | No. 15 Kansas State | 5–1 |
| 26 | Sunday | L, 65–64 | Florida Gulf Coast | 5–2 |
| ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge | ||||
| 30 | Thursday | L, 65–58 | vs. No. 1 South Carolina | 5–3 |
| December | ||||
| 6 | Wednesday | W, 81–66 | vs. UNC Greensboro | 6–3 |
| Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Conn. | ||||
| 10 | Sunday | L, 76–64 | No. 10 Connecticut | 6–4 |
| ——————— | ||||
| 15 | Friday | W, 96–36 | vs. Western Carolina | 7–4 |
| Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte | ||||
| 19 | Tuesday | W, 61–52 | No. 18 Oklahoma | 8–4 |
| ACC season | ||||
| 31 | Sunday | W, 82–76 | vs. Clemson | 9–4, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | W, 75–51 | vs. No. 22 Syracuse | 10–4, 2–0 ACC |
| 7 | Sunday | W, 61–57 | at No. 9 Notre Dame | 11–4, 3–0 ACC |
| 11 | Thursday | L, 70–62 | at Florida State | 11–5, 3–1 ACC |
| 14 | Sunday | W, 81–68 | vs. Virginia | 12–5, 4–1 ACC |
| 18 | Thursday | W, 73–68 | at Georgia Tech | 13–5, 5–1 ACC |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 79–68 | vs. No. 23 Louisville | 14–5, 6–1 ACC |
| 25 | Thursday | W, 66–61 | vs. Miami | 15–5, 7–1 ACC |
| 28 | Sunday | L, 81–66 | at Virginia | 15–6, 7–2 ACC |
| February | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | L, 63–59 | at No. 11 N.C. State | 15–7, 7–3 ACC |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 70–61, OT | vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech | 15–8, 7–4 ACC |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 68–60, OT | at Duke | 15–9, 7–5 ACC |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 75–62 | vs. Pittsburgh | 16–9, 8–5 ACC |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 58–50 | at Wake Forest | 17–9, 9–5 ACC |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 80–70 | vs. No. 11 N.C. State | 18–9, 10–5 ACC |
| 25 | Sunday | L, 74–62 | at No. 13 Virginia Tech | 18–10, 10–6 ACC |
| 29 | Thursday | L, 78–74 | at Boston College | 18–11, 10–7 ACC |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 63–59 | vs. Duke | 19–11, 11–7 ACC |
| ACC tournament Greensboro Coliseum | ||||
| 7 | Thursday | L, 60–59 | Second round: vs. Miami | 19–12 |
| NCAA tournament Columbia, S.C. | ||||
| 22 | Friday | W, 59–56 | First round: Michigan State | 20–12 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 88–41 | Second round: No. 1 South Carolina | 20–13 |
Potential UNC 2024–25 roster
| Year | No. | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | — | Lanie Grant (5 star) | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | — | Blanca Thomas (5 star) | C | 6–5 | |
| Freshman | — | Jordan Zubich (4 star) | G | 5–11 | |
| RS Freshman | 21 | Ciera Toomey | F | 6–4 | |
| RS Freshman | 4 | Laila Hull | W | 6–1 | |
| Sophomore | 10 | Reniya Kelly | PG | 5–7 | |
| Sophomore | 15 | Sydney Barker | PG | 5–6 | |
| RS Junior | 11 | Kayla McPherson | PG | 5–8 | |
| Junior | 24 | Indya Nivar | G | 5–10 | |
| Senior | 5 | Maria Gakdeng | C | 6–3 | |
| Graduate | — | Grace Townsend | G | 5–5 | |
| Graduate | 20 | Lexi Donarski | G | 6–0 | |
| Graduate | 1 | Alyssa Ustby | F | 6–1 |
2023–24 UNC players to enter transfer portal
| Class | Player | Date entered | Pos. | Hgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Paulina Paris | March 26 | G | 5–9 | Arizona |
| Graduate | Ali Zelaya | April 1 | F | 6–4 | UNCW |
| Graduate | Anya Poole | April 1 | F | 6–2 | TBA |
| RS junior | Teonni Key | April 2 | F | 6–4 | Kentucky |
| Sophomore | RyLee Grays | April 5 | F | 6–3 | TBA |
| Graduate | Deja Kelly | April 8 | G | 5–8 | TBA |
UNC practice photos courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications; Jordan High photos courtesy of Sydney Barker (second photo via @southsidejus on Instagram, third by Justin Terrell)
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