By R.L. Bynum
Two stars who started for their Carolina teams — guard Caleb Love and wing Kennedy Todd-Williams — headline 11 former Tar Heels who will play for other colleges this season.
Love’s Arizona Wildcats and Todd-Williams’ Ole Miss Rebels are each ranked No. 12, and both quickly bonded with their new teammates on overseas trips last summer.
None of the other transfers play for teams ranked in preseason polls.
Nine former UNC men’s players — seven who transferred after last season — play for other college programs, equal to the number of former Tar Heels on NBA rosters after the Philadelphia 76ers waived Danny Green earlier this week.
Minnesota center Dawson Garcia and Texas Tech guard Kerwin Walton enter their second seasons at those schools. D’Marco Dunn and Puff Johnson are at Penn State, with Dontrez Styles at Georgetown, Tyler Nickel at Virginia Tech, Justin McKoy at Hawaii and Will Shaver at UAB.
Dunn, Johnson and Styles all will play for coaches in their first seasons at their schools.
In addition to Todd-Williams, Destiny Adams transferred from the UNC women’s program, moving closer to home by joining Rutgers.
Love, the subject of much debate among the UNC fanbase after his struggles last season, clearly was the most notable departure. He joins former Carolina assistant coach Steve Robinson, who is on the Arizona coaching staff.
After his iconic 3-pointer ousted Duke in a 2022 national semifinal, he was part of last season’s UNC team that missed the NCAA tournament while he put up inefficient numbers. Love, who started 96 of his 101 UNC games, ended up in Arizona after problems with academic credits foiled his planned transfer to Michigan.
“I feel like I had to go through that to get to where I am right now, and into the space I’m in right now,” Love, whose Wildcats play at Duke on Friday, Nov. 10, told The Athletic, “as far as mentally being strong and being able to take a punch and punch back. Or take a punch, fall down and get back up.”
Love played in three exhibition games during its August tour of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. He played well in the Wildcats’ two October exhibition victories, scoring 23 points in the 110–70 Oct. 10 win over Lewis-Clark State and 19 in Monday’s 94–65 victory over New Mexico Highlands.
He combined in the two exhibitions to shoot 68% from the floor and 50% (6 of 12) from 3-point range. He had seven assists and no turnovers in the first game but three assists and four turnovers in the second.
Arizona is the favorite to win the Pac-12 despite losing four starters from the team that went 28–7, finished second in the regular season and won the league tournament last season.
Love, listed as 6–4, 204 pounds, is one of four veteran players expected to start for Arizona, along with 6–6 senior guard Pelle Larsson (last season’s Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year), 6–7 San Diego State fifth-year forward Keshad Johnson and 7–0 redshirt senior center Oumar Ballo (the leading returning scorer and a former Gonzaga player). The fifth starter is expected to be 6–2 sophomore guard Kylan Boswell, the No. 25 recruit in the Class of 2022.
Todd-Williams (right), who started all 55 games the last two seasons and five her freshman season at Carolina, joins an Ole Miss program ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1995. The Rebels went 25–9 and earned their first Sweet 16 appearance in 16 years.
Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin returns Madison Scott, who made the SEC All-Defensive team, but lost All-SEC guard Angel Baker. Also transferring into the program were former Auburn player Kharyssa Richardson and former Florida player KK Deans.
Todd-Williams and Scott are on the 20-player watch list for the Cheryl Miller Award that goes to the nation’s top small forward.
“The transition has been very smooth,” she told 247Sports. “The people are super-welcoming. The girls? I love them.”
Deans led Ole Miss with 22 points and Todd-Williams had six points and an assist in the Rebels’ 91–44 exhibition win Sunday over Rust College.
“They have accepted me for who I am,” Todd-Williams said. “I’m a two-level scorer. They know I’m big on defense, and that’s what we do.”
Ole Miss played three exhibition games in Italy during the summer, Todd-Williams’ second visit to another country after UNC played in the Bahamas two seasons ago.
Dunn and Johnson play at Penn State for former VCU coach Mike Rhoades. He replaced Micah Shrewsberry, who left after two seasons for Notre Dame after the Nittany Lions went 23–14 and made the NCAA tournament last season.
Dunn (right) had eight points and two 3-pointers off the bench in the Nittany Lions’ 68–58 exhibition win Saturday at Robert Morris. Johnson didn’t play because of a reportedly minor injury.
“It was good,” Dunn told Lions 247 after the game. “I don’t know how long we’ve been at Penn State now — six months — but it’s been a long time since we’ve played somebody else. It’s fun to get back in season with these guys, and I think we have a lot of great pieces.”
Rhoades praised Dunn’s development on defense.
“I feel like we have a lot of great pieces,” Dunn said. “But just piecing it together, playing a complete game is going to be our biggest mission because I think we can beat anybody.”
Johnson is confident that Penn State will be successful this season.
“A lot of the guys on the team know how to win,” Johnson said in a post on the Penn State Athletics X (formerly Twitter) account. “Coach Rhoades knows how to win at a really high level, too. Just going out there and giving it your all. No games are promised, and no games are easy wins. You can beat anyone on any given night, and that’s just the type of mentality we have to have going into the season.”
Garcia made the 10-player All-Big Ten team last season and the preseason league team but hopes for better team success after Minnesota went 9–22 last season, finishing last in the Big Ten at 2–17.
Garcia, who missed five games last season with a bone bruise, led the team in scoring (15.4 points; 10th in the league) and rebounding (6.7; 13th). He’s on the 20-player watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the top center in the country.
Garcia had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in Minnesota’s 97–73 exhibition victory Thursday over Macalester College.
Tyler Nickel, listed as 6–7, 220, is the only transfer to stay in the ACC, joining Virginia Tech in his home state. He is expected to get a lot of time playing at wing for fifth-year coach Mike Young.
The Hokies lost forwards Justyn Mutts and Grant Basile to graduation, and sophomore guard Rodney Rice left the program last month. Nickel and fellow transfers Robbie Beran, a fifth-year forward from Northwestern, and Mekhi Long, a fifth-year forward from Old Dominion, are expected to help them overcome those departures.
Nickel scored 14 points in Virginia Tech’s 82–64 scrimmage win Saturday at Richmond.
Styles is one of five transfers joining Georgetown to play for Coach Ed Cooley, who took the job after 12 seasons at Providence. The school fired Patrick Ewing after the Hoyas went 7–25 and were 75–109 in his six seasons.
Also transferring to the Hoyas are guard Jayden Epps (from Illinois), forward Supreme Cook (Fairfield), forward Ismael Massoud (Kansas State) and guard Roman Brumbaugh (Texas).
Hawaii is the third school for McKoy, who started his career at Virginia and enters his fifth college season. The Rainbow Warriors are picked to finish third in the Big West after finishing 22–11 last season and not earning a postseason tournament berth.
McKoy is one of five newcomers, including one other transfer: Yale guard Matthue Cotton.
McKoy collected seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes during Hawaii’s 92–58 exhibition loss Friday to No. 23 Saint Mary’s.
Will Shaver, who played briefly in three UNC games before a season-ending broken left foot in December, gets a new start at UAB, where he’ll likely be a reserve. In the Blazers’ 88–70 exhibition win Sunday over Morehouse, he was scoreless in seven minutes.
UAB, in its first season in the American Conference, has four players back from a team that went 29–10, earned a school-record win total and made the NIT championship game. Shaver is one of nine newcomers, including four transfers.
If Kerwin Walton’s minutes in Texas Tech’s 89–84 exhibition victory Sunday in Denton, Texas, over No. 15 Texas A&M are any indication, his playing time might not be that different from last season.
He was one of three players with single-digit minutes, with three points, a 3-pointer and a rebound in nine minutes. He transferred from Carolina seeking a better situation but played fewer minutes last season at Texas Tech (346) than at Carolina (411) two seasons ago. He started seven games while filling in for an injured starter.
Destiny Adams is the top addition for a rebuilding Rutgers program in its second season under coach Coquese Washington after finishing 12–20 (5–13 in the Big Ten) last season.
The 6–3 Adams is among five newcomers, including one other transfer. She’ll be part of a tall frontcourt with 6–3 senior Chyna Corwell, who is from Conover and started all 32 games last season.
After starting only four times in two seasons at Carolina, she is expected to start every game as she plays closer to her Manchester, N.J., home.
In Rutgers’ 100–55 exhibition loss at No. 6 South Carolina on Oct. 22, Adams started, played 30 minutes and nearly had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Checking in on 11 former Heels
Destiny Adams, Rutgers forward
6–3 | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
100–55 Oct. 22 exhibition loss at No. 6 South Carolina — Started; 30 minutes, 9 points, 4–17 FG, 0–3 3FG, 1–1 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 3 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 33 games, 4 starts, 4.1 points, 45.6% FG, 26.2 3FG%, 54.5 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist, 1.5 steals, 0.8 of a block
Season opener — 7 p.m. Monday vs. Monmouth
D’Marco Dunn, Penn State guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
68–58 Saturday exhibition win at Robert Morris — Didn’t start; 25 minutes, 8 points, 3–4 FG, 2–2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 steal
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 27 games, 0 starts, 2.7 points, 42.4 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 0.7 of a rebound, 0.2 of an assist, 0.3 of a steal, 0.2 of a block
Season opener — 7 p.m. Monday vs. Delaware State, B1G+
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota forward
6–11, 230 pounds | Junior | UNC 2020–21 (part of 1 season)
97–73 Thursday exhibition win vs. Macalester College — Started; 30 minutes, 19 points, 9–14 FG, 1–3 3FG, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +12
2022–23 statistics — 26 games, 26 starts, 15.3 points, 45.7 FG%, 34.5 3FG%, 71.4 FT%, 6.7 rebounds; totals of 56 assists, 18 steals, 17 blocks
Season opener — 7 p.m. Monday vs. Bethune-Cookman
Puff Johnson, Penn State wing
6–8, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
68–58 Saturday exhibition win at Robert Morris — Didn’t play with “minor injury”
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 27 games, 2 starts, 4.1 points, 38.7 FG%, 28.3 3FG%, 65.8 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 0.4 of an assist, 0.6 of a steal
Season opener — 7 p.m. Monday vs. Delaware State, B1G+
Caleb Love, Arizona guard
6–4, 205 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
110–70 Oct. 20 exhibition win over Lewis-Clark State — Started; 24 minutes, 23 points, 9–12 FG, 3–6 3FG, 2–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 0 turnovers, 2 steals
94–65 Monday exhibition win over New Mexico Highlands — Started; 23 minutes, 19 points, 8–13 FG, 3–6 3FG, 0–1 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 2 steals
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 33 games, 32 starts, 16.7 points, 37.8 FG%, 29.9 3FG%, 76.5 FT%, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 of a block
Season opener — 9:30 Monday vs. Morgan State, Pac-12 Network (plays at No. 2 Duke at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, ESPN2
Justin McKoy, Hawaii guard
6–8, 230 pounds | Graduate student | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
92–58 Friday exhibition loss to No. 23 Saint Mary’s — Didn’t start; 20 minutes, 7 points, 2–5 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 11 games, 1 start, 59 minutes, 19 points, 6–13 FG, 2–6 3FG, 5–5 FT, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks
Season opener — 1 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 vs. Hawaii Hilo
Tyler Nickel, Virginia Tech guard
6–7, 225 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
82–64 scrimmage Saturday win at Richmond — 14 points
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 25 games, 0 starts, 150 minutes, 52 points, 15–40 FG, 6–26 3FG%, 16–19 FT, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks
Season opener — 8 p.m. Monday vs. Coppin State, ESPN3
Will Shaver, UAB center
6–10, 270 pounds | Redshirt sophomore | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
88–70 Sunday exhibition win over Morehouse — Didn’t start; 7 minutes, 0 points, 1 foul, 1 turnover, -9
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 3 games, 6 minutes, 2 points, 0–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Season opener — 8 p.m. Monday vs. Bradley, ESPN+ (play Clemson in Asheville on Friday, Nov. 10, ESPN+)
Dontrez Styles, Georgetown wing
6–6, 212 pounds | Junior | UNC 2021–23 (2 seasons)
81–77 Oct. 14 scrimmage win vs. Wake Forest, 78–64 Saturday scrimmage loss to Pittsburgh — No reported details on how Styles did
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 15 games, 0 starts, 89 minutes, 21 points, 7–19 FG, 3–9 3FG, 4–6 FT, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Season opener — 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. Le Moyne, FS2
Kennedy Todd-Williams, Ole Miss guard
6–0 | Senior | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
91–44 Sunday exhibition win vs. Rust College — 19 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist
2022–23 statistics (UNC) — 33 games, 33 starts, 12.2 points, 39.4 FG%, 32.3 3FG%, 75.31 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 of a block
Season opener — noon Monday vs. Queens, ESPN+
Kerwin Walton, Texas Tech guard
6–5, 200 pounds | Senior | UNC 2020–22 (2 seasons)
89–84 Sunday exhibition win in Denton, Texas, over No. 15 Texas A&M — Didn’t start; 9 minutes, 3 points, 1–2 FG, 1–2 3FG, 0–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 1 assist, -2
2022–23 statistics — 27 games, 7 starts, 3.6 points, 45.3 FG%, 41.1 3P%, 87.5 FT%, 0.9 of a rebound, 0.4 of an assist, 0.2 of a steal, 0.2 of a block
Season opener — 8 p.m. Wednesday vs. Texas A&M-Commerce, ESPN+
Top photo via @ArizonaMBB; Todd-Williams photo via @OleMissWBB; Dunn photo via @PennStateMBB
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