Tag: 2024-2025 UNC men’s basketball roster

RJ Davis earns a very early preseason honor

Star Tar Heels guard RJ Davis just collected more preseason All-American honors.

In his fourth season as a North Carolina Tar Heel last year, RJ Davis delivered a campaign that turned him into the ACC Player of the Year and one of the country’s top players.

Just two months ahead of UNC’s coming basketball season, Davis is already reigning preseason recognition.

On Tuesday, Sept. 4, Davis was named a preseason Blue Ribbon First Team All-American. Davis’ recognition is named after the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, which lists preseason rankings, predicts award-winners and is regarded as one of college basketball’s most popular books.

Davis, who led the ACC and finished 11th nationally with 21.2 points per game last year, leads a 2024-2025 North Carolina roster that returns guards Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble, power forward Jae’Lyn Withers and center Jalen Washington. The Tar Heels also welcome in 4-star center James Brown, plus a pair of 5-star McDonalds All-Americans in Drake Powell and Ian Jackson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_eU5n5Sj5s/

Head coach Hubert Davis gained some recruiting wins later in the transfer portal, snagging Cade Tyson from Belmont and Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt, after top-end talent like Coleman Hawkins valued more NIL money elsewhere over a traditional program. Davis surprised Tar Heel Nation more recently, making likely his final portal addition in Tyzhaun Clause.

Davis has his sights set on something greater this coming season: leading UNC to its seventh National Championship.

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How does Zayden High’ departure affect UNC’s 2024-2025 basketball roster?

The North Carolina Tar Heels said goodbye to reserve forward/center Zayden High on Monday, Aug. 27. How does his departure impact the roster?

The UNC men’s basketball team will have plenty of talent sprinkled throughout its roster for the coming season.

North Carolina’s starting lineup will be headlined by the return of reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, while Seth Trimble and Jae’Lyn Withers give the Tar Heels’ bench some starting-caliber options.

UNC’s bench lost a key contributor on Tuesday afternoon – and arguably, the team’s biggest hype man – who had a much clearer path to playing time in 2024-2025.

Zayden High, who played 23 games in his freshman season last year for North Carolina, is no longer enrolled at the school.

High appeared in a limited role during the 2023-2024 campaign, averaging 0.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 4.5 minutes per game.

You’re probably wondering: how does the loss of a player, who didn’t even average five minutes per game, impact the Tar Heels?

UNC will have starting experience in the post, headlined by Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin, but not a ton outside of him. Belmont transfer Cade Tyson can play in the post at 6’7″, but I see him being utilized more at small forward.

Center Jalen Washington is a key reserve, but with Armando Bacot’s departure, Washington is poised to take a starting role. Jae’Lyn Withers was likely North Carolina’s starting power forward, but Tyson and Lubin’s arrival put him back on the bench.

Don’t forget about James Brown, an incoming 4-star center who could also see minutes at power forward, or recent Georgia Tech transfer Tyzhaun Claude.

To sum it up, High’s loss isn’t a major one for the Tar Heels. There’s no doubt, though, UNC will miss High’s energy both on and off the court.

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