By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina guard Isaiah Denis will enter the transfer portal after seeing limited playing time during his freshman season, but said he is open to returning to UNC.
Denis’ season never had a chance to find its footing. A lingering pinky injury, the same finger he injured during his senior high school season, derailed his only season at Carolina.
“UNC is a special place,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “That is why, even though I intend to enter the transfer portal due to the coaching uncertainty, I’m keeping the option open to return to UNC.”
The transfer portal opens on Tuesday and closes at 11:59 p.m. on April 21.
He played in only 10 games, scoring 19 points over 34 minutes, with a season-high of 8 points in 6 minutes in the 99–51 victory on Dec. 22 over East Carolina. Denis only played in three ACC games and didn’t score in league action, logging a high of three minutes against Notre Dame.
Denis arrived at North Carolina as a four-star recruit and one of the most coveted guards in his class, ranked No. 75 overall and No. 11 at his position by the Rivals Industry Rankings.
At Davidson Day School, he showcased his all-around game, averaging 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He drew offers from Tennessee, Miami, Wake Forest, Ohio State, among others, before picking UNC.
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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 goheels.com
