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The Phoenix Suns, who had the league’s best record during the regular season, had no problem with the New Orleans Pelicans in their playoff opener, highlighted by Cam Johnson’s thunderous, highlight-reel first-quarter dunk. Johnson, a finalist for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, came off the bench to score 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting as the No. 1-seed Suns beat the No. 8-seed Pelicans 110–98 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference series.
Garrison Brooks finished a productive three games at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament with 25 points and nine rebounds in leading his team to a victory in the fifth-place game on Saturday in Portsmouth, Va. Brooks made 11 of 15 shots, collected two assists and a block and was named player of the game as his K&D Round’s Landscaping team’s 96–86 victory over Portsmouth Partnership. Also on his team was former Miami guard Charlie Moore, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Seven Tar Heels, and potentially an eighth, will begin play in the NBA playoffs this weekend. Cameron Johnson’s Phoenix Suns are a solid threat to win the title and the Dallas Mavericks, with Reggie Bullock and Theo Pinson, are playing like they could make a long run. Joining them in the playoffs are Danny Green of the Philadelphia 76ers, Coby White and Tony Bradley of the Chicago Bulls and Day’Ron Sharpe of the Brooklyn Nets.
Leaky Black announced on social media Friday that he will use his extra season of eligibility to return to Carolina next season. Black has played four seasons for the Tar Heels and is taking advantage of his COVID year the NCAA is giving players who played during the 2020–21 pandemic season.
Brady Manek’s perimeter shooting, grit inside and leadership in helping North Carolina make an improbable run to the national championship game had many Tar Heels fans wondering if he was the best transfer in program history. You have to go back to the early 1970s to find a transfer who had more impact but you only have to look on last season’s roster team to find a member of his family.
After quite the flurry of Carolina men’s basketball activity on Wednesday, there are still more decisions to be made that will have an impact on Coach Hubert Davis’ ability to bring in players from the transfer portal. If Leaky Black decides to use his extra season of eligibility and everybody else returns, Carolina would be right at the 13-player scholarship limit and unable to bring in more players.
Given the way that rosters fluctuate, you figured that there would be departures on Carolina’s roster and possibly the first one will be Anthony Harris. He entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.
It’s been widely expected that Armando Bacot will return for his senior season and he confirmed that in a tweet on Wednesday morning: “Tar Heel forever.” With NIL (name, image and likeness) money out there to be earned, it always made sense for Bacot to come back since he likely will earn more money than he would with a two-way contract, a G League contract or to play in Europe.
Most people familiar with the situation have known for some time that Dawson Garcia wouldn’t be coming back to the North Carolina program, so the news Wednesday that he’s entered the transfer portal, first reported by Inside Carolina, came as no surprise. Garcia, who averaged 9.0 points and made 37.5% of his 3-point attempts for the Tar Heels, transferred from Marquette and was expected to be one of the key players.
It seems that Armando Bacot has done everything well this school year. On Tuesday, he added All-ACC Academic Men’s basketball Team honors to the All-ACC first-team honors he earned last month.
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