Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball

UNC basketball moves up in rankings after Cade Tyson commitment

Cade Tyson’s commitment to the UNC basketball program moved their ranking up in the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1.

North Carolina received good news on Sunday afternoon with Belmont wing Cade Tyson pledging his commitment to the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal. It was the first addition for UNC out of the portal, as it fills a need on the wing with the departure of Harrison Ingram.

Not only should this move help fill a need but it also helped the Tar Heels move up in the early Top 25 and 1 rankings on CBSSports.com. Gary Parrish updated his rankings on Monday afternoon, moving UNC up one spot from No. 4 to No. 3.

The Tar Heels jumped Iowa State as Parrish writes:

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

North Carolina’s roster did get better from where it was at in the offseason after losing Ingram to the NBA. With Hubert Davis having to replace three starters, this is a good addition as it gives them a legit threat on the perimeter.

There could be other moves coming which should help the Tar Heels’ ranking even more.

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Rutgers transfer center Cliff Omoruyi visiting UNC on Thursday

Can Hubert Davis convince Cliff Omoruyi to become a North Carolina Tar Heel on Thursday?

Since Armando Bacot exhausted his final year of eligibility, the UNC men’s basketball team has been searching for a center in the transfer portal.

North Carolina was linked to the likes of Danny Wolf, Aaron Bradshaw, Oumar Ballo and Jonas Aidoo, only for them to choose other programs.

The Tar Heels still have centers Jalen Washington and Zayden High on their roster, plus they bring in 4-star James Brown, but they’re looking to bolster a fairly inexperienced position by adding some experience.

Thursday could bring UNC the good news it needs in a wild transfer portal.

Cliff Omoruyi, the Rutgers transfer who is linked to North Carolina, is visiting campus on Thursday, May 2.

Omuruyi is the epitome of a reliable center, averaging double-digit points and over eight rebounds per game over the last three seasons. He was a part of two NCAA Tournament runs during his time in New Jersey, as Rutgers snapped a 38-year drought between Big Dance wins in Omoruyi’s freshman season (2020-2021).

With Chapel Hill being Omoruyi’s final visit, head UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis needs to lay all his cards out on the table.

If the Tar Heels make a strong enough impression, they could enter the weekend with a starting center for the upcoming season.

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UNC basketball lands commitment from Cade Tyson

Cade Tyson becomes the first player to commit to the UNC Basketball program out of the transfer portal in 2024.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ basketball program has added a very important piece to the 2024-25 roster on Sunday afternoon. And it’s the first player out of the transfer portal to commit to the Tar Heels this offseason.

After visiting in April, Belmont wing Cade Tyson has pledged his commitment to the Tar Heels, doing so on Sunday. Tyson posted a message on X (Formerly Twitter) that he has made his decision and is committed to the program.

The 6-foot-7 forward has two years of eligibility left and was one of the top shooters in the transfer portal. From the day he entered the porta, UNC showed interest and there was mutual from Tyson’s side.

Tyson averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds last season and was one of the best three-point shooters, making 46.5 percent of his attempts last season.

With the commitment of Tyson, the Tar Heels fill a much-needed void on the perimeter with Harrison Ingram going to the NBA and Cormac Ryan out of eligibility. Both were good perimeter shooters for the Tar Heels a year ago as starters.

In 2022-23, Tyson earned Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.  He also shot 41.7 percent on threes.

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Seth Trimble reveals a call to former player that helped change his mind

UNC guard Seth Trimble got some advice from a former standout and then decided to return for another season.

North Carolina guard Seth Trimble made the decision to enter the transfer portal earlier in April before returning for another year. And now, Trimble revealed what exactly drew him to returning to the program.

In an interview with Inside Carolina, Trimble revealed that a phone call with former Tar Heel Danny Green was a big factor in why he returned.

“The talk that influenced me most was a phone call with Danny Green. He gave me support. He said, ‘Whatever you do, you go in and you work.’ He talked about how we were in similar situations and how he came off the bench in college. He wasn’t always the happiest with whatever situation he was in. He just got to a point where he said, ‘You know what, enough is enough. I’m going to work, and I’m going to take what’s mine.’ He’s a big part of the mindset I have coming into this year.”

Green spent four seasons at North Carolina and had to earn his role over time as he came off the bench. He eventually developed into a key player for the Tar Heels national title team in 2009.

The forward left a legacy at North Carolina, working hard and becoming a legit two-way player. Trimble has the chance to do the same and we saw improvement last season from the guard.

And if we know anything about Trimble, it’s that he will put in the work to get better.

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Jonas Aidoo to UNC would mean more than just basketball

Come home, Jonas Aidoo!

After swinging and missing on transfer portal centers Oumar Ballo and Danny Wolf, the North Carolina Tar Heels are running out of experienced options to bring into Chapel Hill.

One possibility is Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, who plans to visit UNC on Thursday, May 2. If Omoruyi picks North Carolina, I imagine he’d start immediately, as he’s a 6’11” tower who’s averaged double-digit point totals over each of the last three seasons.

Another possibility – the player I personally like the most – is Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo. In his first season as a full-time starter, Aidoo averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

But that’s not why Aidoo should come to North Carolina.

Dating back to his high school basketball days, Aidoo is actually a native of the Tar Heel State. He played his junior and senior seasons of high school basketball at Voyager Academy in Durham, before transferring to the Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte.

You can’t beat the prospects of playing college basketball 30 minutes from where you grew up. Aidoo wouldn’t just be playing for any college basketball program – he’d be playing for the ACC’s best.

UNC has one of the most attractive rosters in college basketball next year, highlighted by a projected return from reigning ACC Player of Year RJ Davis. Guards Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble also come back, plus 5-star All-Americans Drake Powell and Ian Jackson enter the mix.

Jonas Aidoo – if you’re reading this, it’s your sign to come to Chapel Hill!

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UNC basketball earns Top-3 ranking in John Fanta’s second Way-Too-Early Top 25

Can the North Carolina Tar Heels live up to their preseason rankings this time?

Will Harrison Ingram withdraw his name from the NBA Draft? Will reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis return to Chapel Hill for a fifth year?

Those are the top two questions surrounding the UNC men’s basketball program right now, which is expected to be another dangerous team in the 2024-2025 campaign.

Even if Ingram and Davis don’t return, North Carolina will be just fine. They bring in 5-star McDonalds All-Americans in Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, a 4-star center in James Brown, plus return key bench contributors in Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington.

The mission remains the same: a seventh National Championship.

In FOX Sports’ John Fanta’s second installation of his Way-Too-Early Top 25, the Tar Heels come in at third.

With Hunter Dickinson announcing his return for a fifth year, there’s no surprise Kansas is ranked number one. UConn will likely see Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingen and Stephon Castle leave, so that second overall ranking remains in questions.

While UNC is very deserving of its ranking, as few other teams return players of Davis and Dickinson’s caliber, these are simply just preseason rankings. We all know what happened in the 2022-2023 campaign (don’t remind us).

Oh – there’s also a strong possibility the Tar Heels could add a couple players in the transfer portal. Former Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo and former Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi are the two UNC portal targets to watch right now.

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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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Transfer target Clifford Omoruyi to visit UNC basketball program

Inside Carolina reports that Clifford Omoruyi will visit the UNC basketball program in May.

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program will soon get a visit from a top target in the transfer portal.

After showing interest and receiving mutual interest back, the Tar Heels will get a visit from Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi. Inside Carolina’s Sherrell McMillan reported the news on Friday afternoon, stating that the Omoruyi will be on campus May 2nd for his visit as he looks for a new team.

The center is among the top players in the transfer portal and would be an immediate fit for the Tar Heels who are looking to add a player at the position with Armando Bacot gone. UNC does have Jalen Washington and will welcome in James Brown as well, but having the chance to sure up the position with a player like Omoruyi would be huge as well.

Last season, Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He’s one of the best-shot blockers in the country and will add that dynamic to any team he picks.

Recently, he cut his list down to 10 teams which UNC made the cut for, taking a step forward. He’s also taken a few visits as his recruitment rolls on.

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Photo shows UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis in Lexington

Hubert Davis was in Lexington to visit Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero on Thursday as the UNC basketball program is in pursuit.

Hubert Davis and North Carolina have some spots to fill on the roster for the 2024-25 season. With departures from Harrison Ingram, Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan, and Paxson Wojcik, there is a need for more depth.

Three starters are gone and while UNC does return Elliot Cadeau and likely RJ Davis, they are looking elsewhere for help, including the transfer portal.

One target North Carolina is after is Kentucky wing Adou Thiero, who is in the transfer portal. UNC has an interest in him as he would come in and be a starter right away on the wing, filling one of those needs.

And on Thursday, Davis was spotted in Lexington, leading to some speculation about a visit for Thiero. Because why else would he be there?

Thiero has been on UNC’s radar since he transferred following the news that John Calipari was heading to Arkansas. Things appear to be picking up and if Davis was there in Lexington for a visit, that’s great news for UNC fans.

UNC recently made his top five list of schools he’s focusing on.

Thiero is coming off a solid season for Kentucky. He started in 19 games and averaged 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

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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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MJD6ruUE1/?img_index=2

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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