Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball

Drake Maye shoots hoops with brother Luke on NFL draft day

Former UNC football standout Drake Maye is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL draft. He spent some valuable time with his brother before the draft, playing basketball with former UNC basketball star Luke Maye.

Luke Maye etched his name into UNC basketball history with his game-winning shot in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. He took a pass from Theo Pinson and sank a deep two against Kentucky en route to North Carolina’s sixth NCAA championship.

Luke’s younger brother, Drake, forever etched his name in UNC football history by earning 2022 ACC Rookie and Player of the Year honors. Drake played himself into Heisman Trophy contention last season, throwing for 400 yards in a game twice, as part of a 3,608-passing yard, 24-touchdown campaign.

Luke’s NBA career didn’t pan out. His only in-game NBA action was for the Milwaukee Bucks’ summer league squad, but I have a strong feeling Drake’s NFL career will end much better. The two are super close, as is the whole Maye family, with Luke highlighting how good of an athlete Drake is.

On 2024 NFL draft day, long before Drake heard his name called on the stage in Detroit, he was seen shooting hoops with Luke.

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If you aren’t able to see Drake and Luke shooting hoops immediately on the above Instagram post, scroll over to the second photo.

We feel pretty confident Drake’s NFL career will pan out, but it looks like he has some pretty solid basketball skills, too.

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Could Seth Trimble’s return spell a positive domino effect for UNC?

Guess who’s back…back again?

There was a collective sigh of disappointment two weeks ago in Chapel Hill, when UNC basketball guard Seth Trimble decided to enter the transfer portal.

Trimble, one of North Carolina’s best defensive players, could get more playing time elsewhere. Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis made a questionable decision to not play him much in the second half of UNC’s Sweet 16 loss to Alabama, leading to speculation Trimble’s time in Chapel Hill was coming to an end.

Two weeks after Trimble announced his decision to transfer, Tar Heel Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, as Trimble withdrew himself from the transfer portal and announced his decision in returning to Chapel Hill.

Trimble’s news of returning might not be the only return either as CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander tweeted:

Having RJ Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year and a 2023-2024 Wooden Award Finalist, return to UNC would be arguably the biggest roster plus entering the coming season. He, Trimble and Elliot Cadeau would form an experienced guard trio that not many other teams can say they have.

Not to mention, North Carolina also welcomes 5-stars Ian Jackson and Drake Powell (guard/forward) to the roster next year. Those are talented guards 1-5, who could all start if Hubert Davis wanted to roll with a small lineup at times.

I have a strong feeling that since Trimble is returning, Davis will be highly encouraged to play him more.

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Michael Jordan voted NBA’s GOAT in anonymous NBA player poll

NBA players voted between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, choosing who the GOAT is

There’s a select few professional basketball players you could include in the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate.

Most of that debate, however, centers on Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and former UNC/Chicago Bulls standout Michael Jordan.

James is continuing to dominate the NBA at age 39, averaging just over 25 points per game, against much younger stars like Luka and Wemby. MJ played in an era just as talented, but less complex, highlighted by going a perfect 6-for-6 in NBA Finals tries.

If you’ve gone back and watched Jordan highlights, his legacy started on TV during the 1982 National Championship game, when he hit “the shot” to beat Georgetown.

This debate could go on forever, but there’s one news outlet that made up its mind – a decision which UNC fans will like.

According to an anonymous NBA Player Poll, via The Athletic, MJ was voted the GOAT.

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Similar to LeBron, Jordan averaged 20 points per game in every professional season. This included a stretch of seven straight seasons (1987-1993) in which he averaged 30 points, plus two consecutive 20-point seasons with the Washington Wizards, to close out his playing career.

As amazing a player MJ was, his basketball ownership tenure never largely panned out. The Charlotte Hornets made the NBA Postseason three times under Jordan, but never won a playoff series.

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UNC basketball one of five blue bloods involved with Dayton shooting guard

The UNC basketball program made the cut for Koby Brea in the transfer portal as he cut his list.

North Carolina is getting more and more involved with players in the transfer portal as the offseason rolls on. And the latest prospect is one of the best shooters still available.

Dayton shooting guard Koby Brea is down to five schools in his new recruitment, cutting his interest down to UNC, Duke, UConn, Kansas, and Kentucky.  That’s a strong list of blue blood programs that are all seeking to add one of the best perimeter shooters on the market.

Brea averaged 11.1 points and 3.8 rebounds this past season but his highlight was averaging 49.8 percent from the three-point line for the Flyers.

For the Tar Heels, they are looking for some help on the perimeter with starters Cormac Ryan out of eligibility and Harrison Ingram heading to the NBA. A shooter like Brea would fill that need right away and would likely have a big role on next year’s roster.

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Dontrez Styles believes he ‘never got the opportunity’ at UNC

After committing to NC State, Dontrez Styles believes he didn’t get an opportunity with the UNC basketball team.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels’ forward Dontrez Styles spent another offseason in the transfer portal after just a year with Georgetown. This time he’s returning back to his home state of North Carolina as he committed to NC State.

The Wolfpack were a team that was involved in his first recruitment before he picked the Tar Heels. After his commitment, he spoke to Pack Pride about his time at UNC and how he’s on the other side of the rivalry now.

During the interview, he did say something very interesting about his time with the Tar Heels, hinting that he never really got a good opportunity to earn some playing time.

“I have to thank coach [Ed] Cooley for giving me the opportunity to go out there and get my confidence back,” Styles said in the interview. “I was struggling with that because I didn’t play a lot at Carolina and never got the opportunity. I’m just way more confident in my game. Playing a lot of minutes was the main thing for me.”

In the two seasons Styles played at North Carolina, he came off the bench and averaged 5.8 minutes per game in 2021-22 and then 5.9 minutes per game in 2022-23. He did appear in 30 games in that season UNC went to the Final Four and hit a big shot against Baylor to help UNC pull off the upset.

But he was behind players on a loaded roster and really couldn’t find his way into the rotation.

Styles will now see UNC twice a season with his new program and he figures to be a starter for the Wolfpack right away.

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Top UNC basketball transfer portal target focusing on four programs

Former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo is reportedly down to four teams in his new recruitment including the UNC basketball program.

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program are identifying their top targets in the transfer portal as the offseason rolls on. With the program losing Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan, plus the decision of Harrison Ingram to head to the NBA, they have some needs to fill.

And one player they are after is former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo.

The North Carolina native has heard from UNC so far in his recruitment as there appears to be interest on both sides. And while there has been no decision made yet, Aidoo is reportedly down to four schools in his new recruitment in the portal.

Per Jeff Goodman, Aidoo is focusing on UNC, Arkansas, Baylor, and Alabama in the recruitment.

Baylor has already had a big offseason with the transfer portal, most recently landing former Duke guard Jeremy Roach. They also picked up a prediction for Aidoo on the 247Sports crystal ball.  That was a few days ago and no decision has been made as of yet.

While the crystal ball is never good news when it goes against your team, the Tar Heels are still in this recruitment. Getting Aidoo on campus is the first step in trying to land him and let’s hope Davis and the staff can do just that.

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Harrison Ingram to maintain college eligibility but expected to stay in draft

UNC basketball forward Harrison Ingram is expected to maintain his college eligibility but still remain in the 2024 NBA draft.

North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram made his decision on his future, declaring for the 2024 NBA draft on Saturday afternoon.

After he spent two seasons with Stanford, he opted to transfer to UNC where he played one year before declaring for the draft. With Ingram’s stock as high as its been, it was an expected decision for him to pursue his ultimate dream.

Two days later, while Ingram has made his decision, there is a small update to his decision. Ingram intends to stay in the 2024 NBA draft but will also maintain his college eligibility. That leaves the door open just a tad bit in case there is a change in his decision.

However, it would be shocking at this point to see Ingram return.

In his one season with the Tar Heels,  Ingram averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. He brought some much-needed energy to this team, especially after the season they had in 2022-23.

With Ingram not returning next year, Hubert Davis and his staff will have to go to the portal again and try to land another impact player. The good news is that they did it this past offseason with both Ingram and Cormac Ryan. Let’s see if history can repeat itself.

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UNC target Danny Wolf commits to Michigan

The UNC basketball team is no longer in the running for former Yale big man Danny Wolf.

The transfer portal is alive and well in college basketball.

We’ve seen plenty of big-name transfers commit already, with the latest being former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr to Kansas. There’s been several teams who’ve brought players in for visits, only for those players to choose other destinations.

One highly-touted player the North Carolina Tar Heels looked at was Danny Wolf, the 7-foot big man from Yale, who averaged 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last year. UNC is in need of an experienced center for the coming season, as it only returns Jalen Washington and brings in 4-star James Brown.

Unfortunately, Wolf is now off the market, as he committed to Michigan on Saturday.

Michigan was arguably the worst Power 5 basketball school last year, compiling an 8-24 (3-17) record, which led to the recent firing of head coach Juwan Howard. After a shocking win against ranked Wisconsin on Feb. 7, the Wolverines lost nine straight to end the year.

Getting Wolf is a massive win for new head coach Dusty May, who is trying to restore Michigan to Big 10 prominence.

Missing out of Wolf isn’t the end of the world for North Carolina, which is still in the mix for Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo and Rutgers big man Cliff Omuruyi. I’d be fine with either guy, but nabbing Aidoo would allow him to play in his home state, as Aidoo grew up in Durham.

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Harrison Ingram declares for 2024 NBA draft

Harrison Ingram is entering the 2024 NBA draft after spending one season at North Carolina.

North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram has made his decision.

On Saturday, a month or so after the Tar Heels’ season came to a disappointing end, Ingram took to social media to announce that he was entering the 2024 NBA draft. Ingram posted a message on his X (formerly Twitter) account to declare for the draft and it doesn’t sound like he has any plans of withdrawing anytime soon.

Ingram posted this message thanking the program:

“I would first like to thank my family and God for their sacrifices and support throughout my life. To Coach Davis and the rest of the coaching staff, I want to thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play and represent the University of North Carolina. You instilled a lot of confidence in me and allowed me to be great. To my teammates, you made this year special for me. I also want to thank the fans and all of Tar Heel Nation; the support was awesome. I’m proud to say I’m a Tar Heel for life!”

The forward spent one season in Chapel Hill after transferring from Stanford where he spent two years. He won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award with Stanford.

Ingram had a big season for the Tar Heels, earning a starting spot right away and bringing some much needed energy to the lineup. He averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in his lone season with the Tar Heels.

Over the past year, his draft stock has been on the rise as well. Ingram has played himself into potentially being a late first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft and he likely received enough feedback to make a comfortable decision to enter the draft.

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UNC basketball still ranked second in CBS Sports’ Top 25 and 1

Will RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram return to Chapel Hill?

With the transfer portal in full swing, it’s hard to tell who will be amongst college basketball’s elite next year.

It’s easy to say that UConn is the favorite to win again, which would mark the first 3-peat in college basketball history, but the Huskies lose future NBA Draft selections Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan.

One team that could be really good next season – but is also awaiting decisions from star players – the North Carolina Tar Heels.

UNC’s biggest question marks surround Harrison Ingram and leading scorer RJ Davis, who can either declare for the NBA Draft or choose to return for one last season. Both enjoyed extremely productive campaigns, highlighted by RJ being ACC Player of the Year, but they could spurn high draft stock for additional chances to don Carolina Blue and NIL money.

In Gary Parrish’s latest CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 rankings, North Carolina slides in at second behind Houston.

“This ranking is based on Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels returning three of the top five scorers – specifically RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram and Elliot Cadeau– from a team that won the ACC and secured a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish wrote. “UNC is also adding a top-10 recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospects Ian Jackson and Drake Powell that should give the program a chance to make a 22nd appearance in the Final Four.”

Even if Davis and Ingram don’t return, the Tar Heels will likely nab a top transfer (of two) to bolster their roster. Early signs have pointed to UNC being in the running for former Belmont forward Cade Tyson and Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi.

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