Tar Heels could be adding a former Yellow Jacket in basketball transfer portal

The UNC men’s basketball team offered yet another forward in the transfer portal.

The UNC men’s basketball team looked to the transfer portal to fill a couple starting spots for its upcoming season, which starts on Monday, Nov. 4 against Elon at the Dean Dome.

North Carolina originally snagged Cade Tyson from Belmont, then later Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt.

It doesn’t appear that head coach Hubert Davis is done fine-tuning the Tar Heels’ 2024-2025 roster.

On Saturday Aug. 10, it was reported that UNC reached out to Georgia Tech transfer Tyzhaun Claude. A Goldsboro, North Carolina native, Claude spent his first three seasons at Morehead State before transferring to Western Carolina.

Claude appeared in 32 games (four starts) for the Yellow Jackets last year, averaging 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Claude’s best collegiate season was the year before at Western Carolina, where he broke out to average a career-high 15.4 points per game.

If the Tar Heels are able to land Claude, who stands 6’7″, he’d likely be a reserve forward.

Snagging Claude isn’t a must-get for UNC, but he also couldn’t hurt. North Carolina doesn’t have a ton of depth at small forward, as 5-star freshman Ian Jackson and Drake Powell are likely to split time at that spot.

Good teams always have depth, something the Tar Heels have struggled with in recent years. Here’s to hoping Claude chooses UNC.

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UNC hoops add LaSalle to its 2024-2025 non-conference schedule

The UNC men’s basketball team is finalizing its non-conference schedule.

Even with Harrison Ingram entering his name into the 2024 NBA Draft, there’s still a ton of optimist surrounding the UNC men’s basketball program months ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.

Seth Trimble, a major part of the Tar Heels’ guard rotation, recently announced his return to Chapel Hill after a brief stint in the transfer portal. 5-star recruits Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, both McDonalds All-Americans, both join the roster.

Oh – there’s also a strong possibility reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis returns.

All the above moves point to yet another strong season in North Carolina, with eyes set on a seventh NCAA Championship after last year’s Sweet 16 exit.

Speaking of next year, UNC’s non-conference schedule is nearing finalization, with the Tar Heels set to face the Atlantic 10’s LaSalle Explorers on Saturday, Dec. 14 in Chapel Hill.

LaSalle, coming off its fourth consecutive losing campaign, has yet to make the NCAA Tournament since its surprise Sweet 16 run in 2013. The Explorers’ best year since that run, record-wise, came during a 17-16 campaign in 2014-2015.

LaSalle does have a bright future ahead, though, as longtime Penn and Temple coach Fran Dunphy heads the program. Dunphy appeared in the NCAA Tournament 17 times with Penn and Temple, with his team’s best result being three Round of 32 appearances.

This would be the first ever matchup between North Carolina and LaSalle.

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