By R.L. Bynum
All but one of the 17 former Tar Heels playing with other college programs will open their seasons on Monday, but Kennedy Todd-Williams easily has the most interesting opener. Meanwhile, Dontrez Styles is one of three former UNC players who will debut Monday with their third school.
Todd-Williams’ No. 20 Ole Miss team, coming off a 24–9 season, will be in Paris for a noon ET Monday game against No. 3 Southern Cal (ESPN), while most others don’t have matchups quite as compelling.
After one season at Georgetown, Styles has joined an N.C. State program that lost many key players from last year’s team that won the ACC Tournament and made the Final Four.
The Wolfpack, which faces USC Upstate at 7 p.m. Monday (ESPN3), eked out a 79–75 exhibition home win Wednesday over Lees-McRae. Styles, a senior, started and collected nine points and nine rebounds but was 1 of 6 from the floor.
Also debuting at their third school on Monday are junior Tyler Nickel at Vanderbilt and senior James Okonkwo at Akron.
Nickel, who played last season at Virginia Tech, and the Commodores play Maryland Eastern Shore at 6 p.m. Okonkwo, who began his career at West Virginia, and the Zips visit Arkansas State at 8 p.m. (ESPN+).
Three former UNC women’s players open their fifth and final college seasons at new schools on Monday: Deja Kelly at Oregon, Anya Poole at Clemson and Ali Zelaya at UNCW.
Kelly’s Ducks host California Baptist at 7 p.m. In Oregon’s 110–21 Friday home exhibition win over Warner Pacific, Kelly only played 10 minutes and had six points and two steals.
Poole’s Tigers host Jackson State at 2:30 (ESPN3).
Zelaya’s Seahawks visit Virginia Tech at 5 p.m. (ESPN3) before returning to UNC to face the Tar Heels at 7 p.m. Thursday (ESPN3).
In other men’s openers on Monday:
— Senior D’Marco Dunn and fifth-year player Puff Johnson will try to start a turnaround season for Penn State, which finished 16–17 last season, with a 7:30 home game against Binghamton. Dunn scored 13 points and three 3-pointers in the Nittany Lions’ 79–54 home exhibition win on Oct. 25 against Lafayette.
— Caleb Love begins his fifth and final college season at 10 p.m. ET in No. 10 Arizona’s home game against Canisius (ESPN+). The Wildcats rolled to a pair of home exhibition wins, with Love scoring 10 points in a 117–54 win on Oct. 21 over Eastern New Mexico and collecting nine points, three assists and three steals in a 113–64 Oct. 28 victory over Point Loma.
—Kerwin Walton opens his fifth and final college season when Texas Tech hosts Bethune-Cookman at 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
— After playing sparingly in his first season at UAB last season, redshirt sophomore Will Shaver’s season starts at 7:30 against Vermont (ESPN+). If the Blazers’ 88–79 exhibition win on Oct. 27 at Western Kentucky is any indication, his playing time might not be much better. Shaver was scoreless with one rebound and two fouls in four minutes.
Senior Dawson Garcia and Minnesota open at 8 p.m. Wednesday at home against Oral Roberts after winning two home exhibition games. Garcia had 15 points and five rebounds in a 90–65 Oct. 19 win over Bemidji State, then had 11 points and five rebounds in a 79–57 Oct. 29 victory over Hamline.
In other women’s openers on Monday:
— Senior Destiny Adams hopes for better fortunes at Rutgers after an 8–24 record a season ago. The Scarlet Knights host Manhattan at 7 p.m. In Rutgers’ 101–48 home exhibition win on Oct. 27 against Caldwell, Adams played a productive 23 minutes with 24 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and a block—Rylee Grays begins her Virginia career at 7 p.m. against American (ESPN3).
— Redshirt junior Teonni Key starts her Kentucky career with a 5 p.m. home game against USC Upstate.
— Junior guard Paulina Paris starts her Arizona career at 6 p.m. against Texas Arlington (ESPN+). She started both of the Wildcats’ home exhibition victories, collecting 13 points, three assists, four steals and two rebounds in an 84–59 on Oct. 25 win over West Texas A&M and nine points, four assists and three rebounds in an 82–53 on Oct. 29 victory over Cal State LA.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 10.1 points, 43.7 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 67.9 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.7 turnovers
Team record: 19–1, 7–1 Big Ten; Rank: No. 3
Tuesday: 75–72 win at No. 7 Nebraska — Started; 32:55, 7 points, 2–8 FG, 2–6 3FG, 1–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 fouls, 8 turnovers, 2 steals, +9
Next game — 8 p.m. Friday at No. 7 Michigan State, Fox
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 9.0 points, 40.5 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 87.2 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 16–6, 3–5 SEC
Thursday: 77–62 win at No. 15 Tennessee — Started; 32 minutes, 15 points, 4–9 FG, 3–7 3FG, 4–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 fouls, 2 turnovers, 3 steals, +18
Next game — 3 p.m. Sunday vs. Missouri
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 20 games, 2.2 points, 47.6 FG%, 2–5 3FG, 75.9 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 8 blocks, 6 steals
Team record: 14–6, 6–2 American
Tuesday: 77–48 win vs. Florida Atlantic — 16 minutes, 6 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 4–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 foul, 2 assists, 1 block
Next game — 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Memphis, ESPN+
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 21 games, 14 starts, 11.1 points, 44.4 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 90.7 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 16–5, 9–1 Big East; Rank: No. 25
Wednesday: 92–70 win vs. Butler — Started; 25 minutes, team-high 18 points, 5–11 FG, 3–6 3FG, 5–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 3 assists, 1 turnover, +19
Next game — 8 p.m. Tuesday at DePaul, Peacock
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 14–6, 6–4 Big Ten
Season statistics — 2 games, 18 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds
Friday: 74–62 loss at No. 3 Michigan — 5 minutes, 1 foul, -9
Monday: 84–78 win vs. Penn State — 13 minutes, 2 points, 1–3 FG, 0–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1 turnover
Next game — 2 p.m. Saturday at Wisconsin, Fox
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 14 games, 14 starts, 11.0 points, 54.9 FG%, 1–12 3FG, 70.7 FT%, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 17–5, 4–4 SEC; Rank: No. 18
Thursday: 69–58 loss at No. 17 Tennessee and Saturday: 72–67 loss vs. No. 23 Georgia— Missed both games recovering from a dislocated elbow
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday at Arkansas, SEC Network
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 13.6 points, 68.5 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 7.0 rebounds
Team record: 15–6, 6–2 ACC
Tuesday: 88–68 win vs. Syracuse — Started; 26:14, 18 points, 8–8 FG, 2–2 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists, +9
Next game — 3:45 Saturday at Wake Forest, The CW
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN or ESPN2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 21 games, 21 starts, 17.5 points, 51.4 FG%, 45.8 3P%, 83.9 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started, 28:20, 19 points, 7–14 FG, 2–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 steals, 1 block, +14
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 19 games, 11 starts, 9.6 points, 39.7 FG%, 23.6 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 8–14, 1–9 ACC
Thursday: 83–54 loss at Clemson — Didn’t start; 21 minutes, 7 points, 3–10 FG, 1–3 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 1 steal, -19
Next game — 7:30 Thursday vs. Wake Forest, ACCN Extra
Plays UNC — 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Carmichael Arena, ACCN
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 19 games, 2.8 points, 48.8 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 53.3 FT%, 2.2 rebounds, 13 assists, 8 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 10–11, 3–5 Southern Conference
Wednesday: 88–78 loss at Wofford — 4 minutes, 0–1 FG, 1 foul, 1 assist
Saturday: 75–64 win vs. Chattanooga — 8 minutes, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–3 FT, 1 rebound, 2 fouls
Next game — 5 p.m. Thursday at Furman, CBSSN
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 20 games, 20 starts, 20.1 points, 50.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 80.1 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Team record: 10–11, 3–7 Big Ten
Wednesday: 67–63 loss at Wisconsin — Missed game with an ankle injury suffered in last Saturday’s loss to Nebraska
Next game — 2 p.m. Sunday at Penn State, NBCSN and Peacock
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 21 games, 2 starts, 9.1 points, 57.7 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 72.5 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Team record: 18–3, 5–3 SEC: Rank: No. 18
Tuesday: 80–55 win vs. Kentucky — Started; 16:45, 0 points, 0–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 9 rebounds, 5 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 block, +11
Next game — 8:30 Saturday at Ole Miss, SEC Network
Photo via @OregonWBB
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