By R.L. Bynum
MILWAUKEE — North Carolina’s biggest issue all season was roster construction, and the Tar Heels will immediately begin working to prevent the same problem from happening again.
With the transfer portal opening Monday, General Manager Jim Tanner, Coach Hubert Davis and his staff will be able to concentrate fully on next season’s roster after the Tar Heels’ season-ending 71–64 loss Friday to Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Getting a top-level center will no doubt be the major priority after UNC failed to lure any of the top pivot men during the last offseason.
The program knows that fifth-year players RJ Davis, Jae’Lyn Withers and Ty Claude will be gone, but who will be back among the players with eligibility remaining?
The two with the most significant NBA potential are freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, and both said they haven’t decided.
Said Jackson: “I’m not sure. I haven’t thought about it yet. When the time comes for my next step, I’ll talk to my circle and figure it out.”
Said Powell: “I’m not sure. Declaring for the draft or coming back — that’s a big decision to make. I’ve been talking with my circle and coaches, and I haven’t really put any thoughts into it.”
The latest mock draft on nba.com lists Jackson as a second-round pick and 37th overall while Powell didn’t make the list.
Players must declare themselves eligible for the NBA draft by 11:59 p.m. April 27 and withdraw by 5 p.m. June 16 to be eligible to play in college next season. The draft is June 26 and 27 in Brooklyn.
Ven-Allen Lubin, with one season of remaining eligibility, has been in the transfer portal twice before but said concentrating on his development is his main goal and that he has no plans to enter the portal.
“I love to here,” Lubin said. “I want to come back. I believe it’s in God’s hands, whether he wants me to come back or be somewhere else.”
Lubin played at Notre Dame as a freshman and Vanderbilt as a sophomore.
Another rising senior who wants to return is Seth Trimble, who briefly was in the transfer portal during the last offseason before pulling his name out.
“Absolutely,” Trimble said. “I want to come back to school. I’m a Tar Heel.”
There have been rumors about Elliot Cadeau leaving the program, and he demurred and looked uncomfortable when asked about his future
“The season just ended like 10 minutes ago,” Cadeau said.
Others who could return are rising seniors Jalen Washington and Cade Tyson and rising sophomore James Brown.
Five-star forward Caleb Wilson leads the three-player incoming freshman class, which includes two four-star combo guards, Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon.
The transfer portal closes on April 22.
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Isaiah Denis, Derek Dixon, Kyan Evans, Jonathan Powell, Jaydon Young, James Brown and Zayden High return and the players in the incoming freshman class hold in their commitment, which would put UNC six under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Freshman | Dylan Mingo | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 4 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 40 | Junior | Ivan Matlekovic | 5 | 7–0 | 255 |
| 44 | Senior | Luca Bogavac | W | 6–6 | 215 |
| 13 | RS senior | Henri Veesaar | 5 | 7–0 | 225 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
In transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 |
| Isaiah Denis | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 |
| Jaydon Young | Senior | G | 6–4 | 200 |
Key offseason dates
Tuesday — Transfer portal opened
April 16 — Deadline to request evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee
11:59 p.m. April 21 — Transfer portal closes
11:59 p.m. April 26 — NBA early entry deadline
May 8–10 — G-League Combine in Chicago
May 10 — NBA Draft Lottery
May 10–17 — NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
Week of June 22 (date to be determined) — NBA Draft
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
