By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina guard Isaiah Denis has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will return for his sophomore season.
Denis made the announcement in an Instagram post on Saturday afternoon, saying, “we have unfinished business.” When he entered the portal, he left open the possibility that he would return. Also on Saturday, Kyan Evans committed to Minnesota.
Evans becomes the third UNC player to transfer to Minnesota in five years after Dawson Garcia and Cade Tyson.
Denis 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, Luka Bogavac, Derek Dixon, Kyan Evans, Jonathan Powell, James Brown, Ivan Matlekovic and Zayden High return and the players in the incoming freshman class hold in their commitment (Dylan Mingo has reopened his recruitment), 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 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–5 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 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 |
X — Virginia Tech transfer
In transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Key offseason dates
April 7 — Transfer portal opened
April 16 — Was deadline to request evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee
11:59 p.m. Tuesday — 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
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski)
(10 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Photo via goheels.com
