Category: Tar Heels in NBA

Former UNC basketball standout sets season-high point total

Former North Carolina Tar Heel Cam Johnson just had the best game of his young NBA season on Tuesday night.

When you think of the most athletic basketball players to don a North Carolina Tar Heels basketball uniform, who comes to mind?

For me, Cameron Johnson is right up there. Johnson transferred to UNC – from Pitt – ahead of the 2017-2018 campaign, North Carolina never won a title in Johnson’s two years, but he made a lasting impact.

Now a crucial member of and starting small forward for the Brooklyn Nets, Johnson is enjoying the best season of his 6-year career.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19 in a 116-115 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson scored a season-best 34 points. He shot an unconscious 6-of-12 from the perimeter, made 11-of-20 shots overall and all six of his free throw attemps.

Johnson wasn’t just contributing on the score sheet. He showcased his versatility as a well-rounded contributor, adding five rebounds, four assists. two blocks and a steal.

Brooklyn isn’t playing great basketball, sitting 6-9 not even a quarter through the NBA season, but it’s currently seeded ninth in a weak Eastern Conference.

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Johnson is 49th in the entire NBA with 18.1 points per game, which ranks second on the Nets behind Cam Thomas. With Brooklyn thought to be early sellers, Johnson might not be in Brooklyn much longer – though he’s a great, young talented player to build a franchise around.

North Carolina only had Johnson for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons, but like I alluded to earlier, Johnson made an immediate impact from Day One.

He started 56 of his 62 games as a Tar Heel, averaging 15 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Johnson earned First Team All-ACC Honors after 2019 ended, when UNC lost to Auburn in the Sweet 16.

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Harrison Ingram the latest Tar Heel to record double-double in professional basketball

Harrison Ingram’s second professional basketball game saw him record a double-double.

How much do you miss watching Harrison Ingram play basketball for our beloved North Carolina Tar Heels?

Ingram was arguably the greatest transfer portal addition of Hubert Davis’ head coaching career, giving UNC an explosive stretch four who kept defenses guessing. Ingram was a double-double machine at North Carolina – not quite like Armando Bacot, but he helped give opposing defenses a headache.

When the 2024 NBA Draft rolled around, Ingram was lucky to hear his name called by the San Antonio Spurs. Ingram is currently on a 2-way contract – and is playing with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G-League affiliate.

Already in his second game with Austin, Ingram is making quite the impact. Ingram recorded a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double in the Baby Spurs’ 122-120 victory over the Osceola Magic on Sunday, Nov. 10.

Ingram wasn’t the only former Tar Heel to record a double-double over the weekend, as Bacot did the same on Saturday.

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Ingram’s 13 rebounds were the most amongst his teammates, while his 35 minutes played were tied with Malachi Flynn for most. Ingram didn’t have the best shooting day, making just 4-of-13 shot attempts, but he converted on 4-of-5 free throw attempts.

North Carolina was in desperate need of a power forward ahead of the 2023-2024 college basketball season, as Pete Nance left for the NBA after a disappointing year. Hubert went out and aced UNC’s need, nabbing Ingram from now-ACC program Stanford.

Ingram tallied 11 double-doubles as a Tar Heel, with his final one coming in the regular-season finale at Duke, helping the Tar Heels complete a regular-season sweep of their archrivals.

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Armando Bacot dominates with double-double in NBA G-League debut

Just how much of an impact did Tar Heel legend Armando Bacot have in his NBA G-League debut?

Armando Bacot etched his way into the UNC basketball history books during his five seasons in Chapel Hill, but that didn’t guarantee him a 2024 NBA Draft selection.

Bacot initially signed with the Utah Jazz‘ Summer League team, then later found his way onto the Memphis Grizzles, thanks to an Exhibit-10 contract. Bacot impressed in preseason ball with Memphis, but was later part of final roster cuts.

Now with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzles’ G-League affiliate, Bacot is already making a quick impression.

On Saturday, Nov. 9 in his G-League debut, Bacot registered a 17-point, 18-rebound double-double as the Hustle’s starting center. Memphis lost, 103-97, but Bacot showed why he can be a key eventual contributor in the NBA.

Bacot shot just 6-of-18 from the field, but what’s most impressive about his performance are the types of shots he made. Bacot drained three 3-pointers in nine attempts. If you recall Bacot’s time at North Carolina, he rarely shot the basketball outside the paint, not making a 3-pointer until the 2023-2024 campaign.

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Bacot led the Hustle in two categories: minutes played (37) and rebounds (18). One of Bacot’s teammates, former Oregon Duck Miles Morris, also recorded a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds).

In his five seasons as a Tar Heel, Bacot set the program record for rebounds (1,715) and double-doubles (87). You’d think this would be enough to get Bacot an NBA Draft Selection, but today’s professional big man is someone who can both play down low and shoot outside jumpers.

If Bacot keeps dominating at the G-League level like he did Saturday, it won’t be long before an NBA team is calling his name again.

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Vince Carter earns retirement gift, Raptors to honor him this weekend

It’s a good weekend to be Vince Carter.

When it comes to the best dunkers in basketball history, who are some names that come to mind?

For me, it’s former UNC standout Vince Carter, who truly developed himself into a star at the professional level.

Carter played at North Carolina for three seasons (1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998), helping his teammates make the Final Four twice. Carter averaged 12.3 points per game across his three years as a Tar Heel, highlighted by a career best 15.6 PPG in his final season.

Drafted fifth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, Carter played 22 seasons with eight different teams, most notably his first six-and-a-half with the Toronto Raptors. Eight All-Star nods later and 21st on the NBA All-Time scoring list, Carter earned himself a 2024 Hall of Fame induction.

As a thank you for Carter’s service to the city of Toronto, Air Canada is also gifting Carter an A-220 aircraft – complete with his 15 on the side.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, Toronto will be also retiring Carter’s legendary number 15 during its game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Carter’s jersey retirement also marks a historical moment, with his 15 the first number to be retired in Raptors’ franchise history.

Carter is arguably one of the greatest professional basketball players to never win a championship – or make one. Carter’s 2010 season with the Orlando Magic was the closest he got, as Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, before losing to the now reigning NBA Finals champion Boston Celtics.

In 2000-2001 with Toronto, Carter averaged a career-best 27.6 points per game. This was one of Carter’s 10 seasons averaging a minimum 20 points per game, showcasing how efficient of a scorer he was.

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Four former UNC basketball standouts cut from NBA rosters over the weekend

Which Tar Heels failed to avoid their former NBA teams’ latest round of roster cuts?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the nation’s greatest college basketball programs, having won six NCAA championships, plus nearly 70 combined ACC regular-season and tournament titles.

As a result of UNC’s success, the country’s top players want to play in Chapel Hill. North Carolina has put some of that recent talent into the NBA, such as Harrison Ingram earning the San Antonio Spurs’ final roster spot this season.

Some other recent former Tar Heels were not as fortunate as Ingram, though.

On Oct. 19, former UNC standouts Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan, Nassir Little and Pete Nance were waived by their respective NBA teams.

In a sports world that has an extremely difficult nature of business, NBA teams needed to trim their rosters – by 4 p.m. Saturday – to avoid salary cap hits.

Bacot, who is North Carolina’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,715) and double-doubles (87), was waived from his Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzles. Bacot played with the Utah Jazz in summer league action.

Ryan, who transferred from Notre Dame to Chapel Hill for his final season of college basketball last year, was waived from his Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ryan averaged 11.5 points per game and shot a hair better than 35% from 3-point land.

Little, the Portland Trail Blazers’ first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, was waived by the Miami Heat. Little started 36 of 237 regular-season games in his first five professional seasons, averaging 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Nance, who never lived up to his hype as Brady Manek’s “replacement” during the Tar Heels’ 2022-2023 campaign, was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nance played eight NBA games in his rookie season, averaging 0.4 points and rebounds per clash.

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Armando Bacot spends day with North Carolina Tar Heels in Memphis

There’s no recent player who loves the Tar Heels more than Armando Bacot. Check out what he did Tuesday night.

When former Tar Heel Armando Bacot finished up his time in the NBA Summer League, the Utah Jazz decided not to sign him.

Thankfully, the Memphis Grizzlies took a chance on UNC’s all-time rebounds and double-doubles leader, signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15 with North Carolina in Memphis for a preseason exhibition game, you know Bacot had to catch up with his former teammates.

Bacot spent time at the Tar Heels’ morning shootaround, then sat courtside and tried his hand at announcing during the national broadcast on ESPNU.

UNC played exceptional basketball in its 84-76 victory over the Memphis Tigers, holding a double-digit lead for most of it. North Carolina junior guard Seth Trimble stole the show, scoring a game-high 33 points in the absence or RJ Davis, while Jalen Washington turned a few heads with his 17-point outing. You can’t forget about projected starting guard Elliot Cadeau, who scored 11 points and dished out 13 assists.

 

The Tar Heels won’t have Bacot’s post production this coming season, so they’ve been trying to find someone to at least show they’re ready to step into Bacot’s shoes. Washington showed he’s capable, plus Washington has something in his bag Bacot didn’t – the ability to shoot 3-pointers.

UNC also has freshman center James Brown, Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin and Georgia Tech transfer Tyzhaun Claude to fill Bacot’s shoes. Lubin likely will be the starter, as he showcased a couple electric plays in the exhibition win, but Washington can also push for starting minutes.

I can’t think of a recent player who loves North Carolina more than Bacot. It was great to seem him supporting the Tar Heels last night – and I hope it’s not the last we see of him in 2024.

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Nassir Little finds second chance with this NBA franchise

Former UNC basketball forward Nassir Little get picked up by the Miami Heat for another shot at making a role on an NBA team.

With training camp just days away and this former UNC forward still sitting on free agency, the likelihood of him earning a contract at that point looked bleak. That was until his phone rang with this franchise on the other line.

Nassir Little spent one season with North Carolina in 2019 as a freshman. In 36 games as a Tar Heel, Little averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Despite having developing to go, Little left after his freshman season for the NBA.

He was selected as the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. He went on to spend four seasons in Portland never averaging more than 10 points and six rebounds per game.

In his best season, he averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 25.9 minutes per game. He started 23 games that season for Portland.

Last year, he spent the season on the Phoenix Suns playing in 45 games and starting just two. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in just 10 minutes per game.

He was not re-signed after his one-year contract in Phoenix and has been sitting on free agency since. However, this week, he received a call and signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat for the upcoming year.

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Former UNC star Coby White earns spot in top 100 list

Coby White ranked inside the Top 100 among HoopsHype’s top NBA players.

With the NBA in the offseason and gearing up for what next year looks like, HoopsHype recently released its top 100 players in the NBA for the upcoming year. Former UNC star guard Coby White is on the list.

Coby White played for the baby-blue and white in just 2019 as a freshman coming from Greenfield School in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The true freshman averaged 16.1 points per game in 35 collegiate games for North Carolina.

He also added 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 42% from the field and 35% from the three-point line. He was named to the 2018-19 All-ACC team as well as the ACC All-Freshman first team.

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After his freshman season, White entered the NBA Draft where he was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the No. 7 overall pick in the draft.

Since his rookie season in 2020, White has averaged a career 14.1 points per game through five seasons. Last year was his best where he averaged 19.1 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game as well.

As his time and opportunities continue to increase, White could easily use this season to break into the top 50 next season; for now, White will be the highest-ranked Tar Heel in the NBA.

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Former Tar Heel Armando Bacot finds new home in NBA

This former UNC superstar signed an NBA contract with this franchise.

One of the most prolific big men to dawn the Carolina blue in the last decade is headed to the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, center Armando Bacot has signed a 10-day exhibition contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.

This contract will guarantee a one-year deal at the NBA minimum and has the opportunity to transition to a two-way contract before the start of the regular season which is on October 22, 2024.

Bacot was one of the best big men UNC basketball has ever seen. He spent five years with the Tar Heels averaging 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his last season. He finished averaging a double-double for his collegiate career at 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

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Bacot spent time in the Summe League over the last couple of months with the Utah Jazz. He had several games during the summer with 8+ points and 6+ rebounds in a limited minute span. After his 10-day contract with the Jazz expired, he was let go.

This time around, hopefully, Bacot has found his NBA home.

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Former UNC basketball captain hired as Dallas Mavericks scout

This former Tar Heel has found a new home in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks as a scout.

During the 1998 NCAA season, the UNC Tar Heels made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. It climaxed with a regional win over UConn 75-64 earning a trip to the Final Four before losing to Utah in that round.

That team was captained by 6-foot-9 forward Makhtar N’Diaye. After going undrafted in the 1998 NBA Draft, N’Diaye found his way onto the Vancouver Grizzlies for the 199 season.

His NBA stint lasted just one season before bouncing around to teams and leagues around the world. In 2017, he started his front-office career in the NBA with a roving scout position with the New York Knicks.

He eventually worked his way up to the Director of International and Pro Scouting with the team in 2021 and has been acting in that capacity since then.

The Dallas Mavericks are bringing the former big man into their front office in the same capacity as their Director of Pro Personnel and International Scouting.

N’Diaye has made a name for himself in the scouting world as he continues to work with the Senegalese men’s basketball team. His future in the front office of NBA teams is already looking better than the short-lived NBA career he held as a player.

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