2024-2025 UNC men’s basketball roster

Projected UNC basketball starter named to Karl Malone Award Watch List

Cade Tyson, arguably UNC’s greatest addition from the college basketball transfer portal, earned some major preseason recognition on Halloween.

I was a little concerned when the college basketball offseason started, as the North Carolina Tar Heels struck out on several, high-profile transfer portal targets to replace production from last year’s veterans.

With the regular season starting in just a couple days, though, that concern is no longer.

Not even a month after the NCAA Tournament ended, UNC head coach Hubert Davis landed sharp-shooting power forward Cade Tyson, the in-state junior who played his first two seasons of college ball at Belmont University.

Tyson hasn’t played a game yet in Carolina Blue, but he’s already gaining some well-deserved preseason recognition.

On Halloween (Thursday, Oct. 31), Tyson was named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List. Tyson is one of 20 total honorees, plus just one of two from the ACC (Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin)

If you’re a fan of the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers or simply just basketball in general, you’re likely familiar with the Award’s namesake, as Malone is one of the best power forwards to ever play the game.

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Tyson is exactly the kind of player who fits the Tar Heels’ roster. He’s 6’7″ and can play at either the 3 or 4, possibly even the 5 in smaller lineups, sort of like a Brady Manek-type star.

More importantly for UNC, Tyson can shoot – and make – 3-pointers. His numbers at Belmont were unconscious: a career 44.6 percent mark from beyond the arc, highlighted by a season-high of 46.5% last year.

North Carolina isn’t always known for its perimeter shooting, so Tyson fills an immediate void. Tyson’s also the type of Stretch 4 that helped the Tar Heels to their surprise, 2022 NCAA Title Game run, with the only difference being his name isn’t Brady Manek.

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Where do pair of UNC freshmen land in updated NBA Mock Draft?

If Ian Jackson and Drake Powell head to the NBA next season, Hoops Hype likes their chances of being first-round selections.

College basketball season is so close, you can practically smell it every time you turn on the TV.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are once again a national championship contender, but this season with a different twist. What was a veteran-heavy team last year, headlined by Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram, is now a squad filled with young talent.

Freshman center James Brown is a key part of that youth, but the freshman headliners are Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, two five-star All-Americans in high school.

North Carolina hopes it’ll have Jackson and Powell for several years, but each are certainly talented enough to be one-and-dones. That’s why Hoops Hype’s Aggregate 2025 NBA Mock Draft lists Jackson and Powell as projected first-round picks.

Powell is mocked 13th, while Jackson is mocked 18th. Let’s see what Hoops Hype had to say about each of the Tar Heels’ freshmen stars.

“Powell is a solid two-way player with length and defensive upside, but he has to prove his shooting consistency as he continues to develop his perimeter shot,” Hoops Hype’s Cyro Asseo de Choch wrote.

“Jackson is an aggressive guard with intensity on both ends and a strong scoring ability, but he needs to shoot with more consistency to reach his full potential,” Asseo wrote.

Jackson is likely to start and Powell should, too, but North Carolina is so deep, there’s no telling who’ll start where and who comes off the bench. Jackson comes to Chapel Hill from New York, while Powell grew up 20 minutes from campus and is living his childhood dream.

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RJ Davis has a very real chance to break UNC’s all-time scoring record this season

RJ Davis is pretty close to the all-time UNC scoring record. Will he break it by season’s end?

When it comes to the most efficient scorers in North Carolina Tar Heels basketball history, RJ Davis is right up there with some of the other all-time greats.

Davis is coming off his best season at UNC, averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game and being named 2024 ACC Player of the Year. Davis scored in double-digits every game but two, which included reaching another career-high, single-game point total of 42 on Feb. 26 in a 75-71 win victory over Miami (FL).

Ahead of his fifth and final season at North Carolina, Davis has a great chance to break the all-time scoring record. Davis currently has 2,088 career points, behind Sam Perkins (2,145), Phil Ford (2,290), former teammate Armando Bacot (2,347) and Tyler Hansbrough (2,872).

Given RJ’s scoring prowess, plus the fact he’s the most experienced player in Chapel Hill this year and knows the system well, I think breaking Hansbrough’s all-time record is very doable. Sure, RJ will have to ball out and play even better than last season, but that’s also not a tall ask.

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If RJ doesn’t end his season as the Tar Heels’ all-time scoring leader, though, don’t be surprised.

UNC has even more scoring help this year in freshman Ian Jackson, transfers Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin, plus Seth Trimble if he plays like he did against Memphis. Those are only a few names, as you can’t count out the likes of Drake Powell, Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin.

While I’m sure RJ would appreciate leaving Chapel Hill with a minimum 2,873 career points, I’m sure he’d rather leave with a National Championship in his back pocket.

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Hubert Davis praises closeness and passion of this year’s team at ACC Tipoff

Despite UNC having a roster filled with underclassmen and transfers, head coach Hubert Davis is ecstatic about who he has to work with this coming season.

Entering his fourth season as head coach of the UNC men’s basketball team, Hubert Davis will have one of his youngest rosters to work with.

North Carolina welcomes freshmen James Brown, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. Powell and Jackson are expected to have multiple starts between them, while Brown is part of a suddenly-deep rotation at center with juniors Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin.

Other underclassmen on the Tar Heels also have sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, freshman guard Dante Mayo Jr., sophomore Russell Hawkins and freshman John Holbrook.

Rounding out UNC’s roster is reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, defensive ace Seth Trimble, junior transfer Cade Tyson, fifth-year Jae’Lyn Withers and senior Elijah Davis, who is Hubert’s son.

Despite North Carolina’s new look, Hubert spoke highly of his players – both old and new – at the ACC Tipoff event on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.

“I’ve been really pleased with this group in terms of their commitment and wanting to be a team,” Hubert said at the Tar Heels’ press conference during ACC Tipoff. “It’s not just on the court, but off the court. Everyone goes to the meal room, where they will move individual tables together so everybody’s sitting at one table. I know that sounds small and insignificant, but it’s of tremendous significance for us – to become a team and having a desire, a passion and a thirst to be one – and to be the best that we can be. Also, something that sticks out is just the way that each one of the players has valued the gifts and talents that others have brought to the table. We always say you have to acknowledge it, you have to celebrate it and our guys do that every day, whether it’s practice or off the court. That’s just going to be huge for us.”

There’s just under a month until UNC’s first regular-season game, when it welcomes in-state opponent Elon to the Dean Dome on Monday, Nov. 4 for a 9 p.m. tip-off. Hubert still has plenty of time to figure out which rotations work best for him, but luckily for Hubert, he has the good issue of talent sprinkled across the roster.

North Carolina’s off-the-court actions might not seem like a big deal to fans, but trust me, it’ll help big-time on the court.

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Seth Trimble talks about his expected 2024-2025 role

Seth Trimble is back for Year Three, one that he’s expected to take an added leadership role in. Hear what Trimble said at ACC Tipoff Thursday.

Doesn’t Seth Trimble, undoubtedly the UNC men’s basketball team’s defensive ace, scream everything it means to be a Tar Heel?

Though Trimble has only three starts over the past two seasons, he’s never complained once about his role off the bench. Trimble loves North Carolina so much, he even decided to withdraw his name from the transfer portal earlier this offseason and return for his junior year.

Trimble’s role increased significantly last season, as his minutes nearly doubled (9.7 to 17.1 minutes per game) and he set career highs in points (5.2) and rebounds (2.1) per game.

On Thursday at the ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte, N.C., Trimble spent a few minutes talking about his evolution and expectations for an even greater role this coming season, a role which is expected to include additional leadership on a younger team.

“To me, to step into a role of being a much bigger leader than I was last year and just to play a more complete game this year,” Trimble said during UNC’s ACC Tipoff press conference. “To play my game, that’s one thing that me and Coach Davis discuss all the time, is just to do me, play free, play whatever it is. I think the biggest thing I have to do this year is lead. RJ is our guy, is our leader the one we look up to. But he can’t be the only one. If he’s the only one this year won’t go well. So I really gotta step into that role.”

I witnessed a bunch of great leadership from Trimble on the court last season. When RJ Davis went out and took a breather, or when Cormac Ryan, Armando Bacot or Harrison Ingram took a breather, Trimble stood out. He acted as North Carolina’s unofficial Sixth Man, pointed where his teammates needed to be on defensive assignments and was always one of the first to celebrate a big play.

Trimble loves the Tar Heels and the Tar Heels love Trimble. We’re extremely grateful for at least one more season with the pride of Menomonee Falls.

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RJ Davis praises freshman teammate for maturity and skill at ACC Tipoff

RJ Davis spent part of his day at ACC Tipoff praising one of his freshman teammates. Who exactly was RJ talking about?

Even if he doesn’t want to admit it, RJ Davis is the grandpa on this year’s UNC men’s basketball roster.

Davis, now entering his fifth year on Chapel Hill, is coming off his best season in which he was named ACC Player of the Year. Davis averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game, became one of the nation’s top perimeter shoots and, most important, showed he was the Tar Heels’ go-to guy when they needed a clutch bucket.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, Davis spent his day at the ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte, N.C. alongside teammate Seth Trimble and head coach Hubert Davis. Instead of choosing to focus on his veteran leadership within what will be a much younger North Carolina squad, Davis spent some time praising one of his freshman teammates: 4-star center James Brown.

With Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram leaving for the NBA, Brown will be counted on to provide some big minutes down low.

“James Brown has been tremendous, just in practice he’s been asking questions, he’s been learning on the fly,” Davis said in UNC’s press conference at ACC Tipoff. “One thing that I love about him is his eagerness and his competitive edge. He’s always willing to learn, but he’s always willing to compete. Even if he makes mistakes, he’s going to do it by going hard. James has been great, he’s great defensively, he’s able to guard guards on the perimeter and bigs down low. He’s going to improve and progress throughout his years of playing here, but it’s kind of just taking him under my wing a little bit: telling him how to set the screens and whenever I snake, kind of just being there on the roll.”

Brown comes to UNC from Link Academy in Branson, Mo. Brown averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, but most appealing to Tar Heel fans, perhaps, is his team-best 29 blocks and impressive .571 field goal percentage.

If Brown is this hyped by the Tar Heels’ best player, expect to see him plenty on the court this coming season.

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Where does Elliot Cadeau rank amongst Top 10 sophomores in college basketball?

Can Elliot Cadeau become one of the top sophomores in college basketball this coming season?

The growth of guard Elliot Cadeau was a major reason behind the North Carolina Tar Heels’ strong closeout to their 2023-2024 basketball season.

UNC finished its year 29-8 (17-3), winning the ACC Regular Season Championship and making the ACC Tournament Championship. North Carolina made the Sweet 16, but lost to Alabama in a game that could’ve gone either way.

Cadeau finished his freshman campaign with 7.3 points and 4.1 assists per game, but was moreso known for his electric speed and ability to slash the rim. Cadeau became a better shooter as the year went on – and should be even more well-rounded offensively this coming season.

With even higher expectations heading into the Tar Heels’ upcoming campaign, which starts on Monday, Nov. 4 against Elon, Cadeau was analyst Andy Katz’ seventh-ranked sophomore in college basketball.

Cadeau is part of a deep guard rotation this year, which includes reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, defensive stalwart Seth Trimble and a pair of McDonalds All-Americans: Ian Jackson and Drake Powell.

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You might recognize a couple other names on Katz’ list, most notably DJ Wagner. The former Kentucky guard followed his coach, John Calipari, to be part of an Arkansas squad hoping to retain its 2021-2023 success.

If Cadeau truly wants to earn his ranking, he’ll need to keep developing offensively and take even better care of the basketball.

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UNC freshman Ian Jackson earns praise from Andy Katz

UNC basketball freshman Ian Jackson earned some much-expected praise from Andy Katz ahead of the season.

If you don’t recognize the North Carolina Tar Heels’ 2024-2025 basketball roster, that’s because it’ll be filled with transfers and younger players.

Those transfers are highlighted by projected starters Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin, who could play anywhere from the 3-5 spots. UNC did also add an experienced forward in Georgia Tech transfer Tyzhaun Claude, though he is expected to appear off the bench.

North Carolina will sport a trio of talented freshmen in James Brown, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, with Jackson expected to be a starter and one of the top freshmen in college basketball.

Just ask well-known college basketball analyst Andy Katz, who ranks Jackson as 10th in his list of the Top 10 freshmen in college basketball. Jackson is just behind Syracuse’s Donavan Freeman.

There’s a few other freshmen you’ll recognize on Katz’ list, most notably Duke duo Cooper Flagg and Khaman Malauch, but also Rutgers freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

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Jackson will likely start at small forward if Hubert Davis puts him in the starting lineup, as Elliot Cadeau and reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis occupy the starting guard spots. There’s a possibility Jackson starts at guard and Cadeau comes off the bench, but we won’t know until deeper into the offseason.

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UNC basketball duo ranked amongst college basketball’s Top 25 impact freshmen

Will UNC freshman Ian Jackson and Drake Powell live up to their preseason hype?

A major reason behind the North Carolina Tar Heels’ basketball success last year was their experienced roster.

UNC carried fifth-year senior and all-time program great Armando Bacot, ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, plus a pair of experienced transfers in Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan.

This year, a handful of youth talent will carry North Carolina to success. That talent is headlined by Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, a pair of 5-star freshman who also doubled up as McDonalds All-Americans.

Not only are Powell and Ian Jackson two of the most talented freshmen in the ACC, but also the entire country.

Just ask college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, who named Powell and Jackson amongst his 25 impact freshmen for the upcoming college basketball season.

First, see what Rothstein said about Powell:

“Elite athlete? Check,” Rothstein said. “Elite motor? Check. Strong physical attributes? Powell has that too. 6-7 and explosive, Powell’s tenacity should complement the Tar Heels in the open floor and on defense. This is a an intriguing piece to monitor in North Carolina’s rotation.”

Second, see Rothstein’s analysis on Jackson:

“A ridiculous offensive talent, Jackson can score from all angles on the court all while giving everything he has on defense,” Rothstein said. “He’ll form an elite perimeter troika for the Tar Heels along with freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau and National Player of the Year candidate RJ Davis.”

North Carolina will be young this year, but has the potential to make another deep run. How far can the Powell-Jackson duo carry the Tar Heels?

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Three UNC basketball players highlighted by Dick Vitale

Colelge basketball broadcasting legend Dickie V has a high preseason outlook on which three Tar Heels?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are just under two months away from the start of basketball season.

Some things are going to look different, most notably UNC not having longtime starter Armando Bacot at the five. A pair of North Carolina’s projected starters, Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin, came from the transfer portal.

The Tar Heels also return reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and starting guard Elliot Cadeau, who should form the country’s best backcourt. Joining them in the backcourt will be 5-star freshman Ian Jackson, who was also a McDonalds All-American.

The above three Tar Heels highlight preseason picks for Dick Vitale, more commonly known as Dickie V,

Davis is one of Dickie V’s PTPers (prime-time players), a phrase he commonly integrates into broacasts, while Davis, Cadeau and Jackson are amongst his floor generals.

Davis is joined by some elite company and a projected freshman breakout star on the PTPers list: Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson and AJ Storr, Alabama’s Mark Sears and Houston’s LJ Cryer.

Davis, Cadeau and Jackson are joined on Dickie V’s Floor Generals list by Alabama’s Sears, Chris Youngblood and Latrell Wrightsell, Kansas’ Storr and Dajuan Harris Jr., Purdue’s Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, Khalif Battle and Nolan Hickman, plus Houston’s Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan.

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