Tag: UNC 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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Seth Trimble makes decision to return to UNC

Seth Trimble is returning to Chapel Hill and the UNC basketball program he announced.

After two weeks in the transfer portal, North Carolina guard Seth Trimble has made his decision. And he’s returning to UNC for a third season.

Trimble made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon that he was withdrawing his name from the portal, which was great news for fans and the program. With Trimble’s return, it boosts UNC’s depth for the 2024-25 season.

The 6-foot-3 guard was North Carolina’s sixth man a year ago, playing valuable minutes off the bench for Hubert Davis.

Trimble appeared in 35 games for the Tar Heels last season, helping the guard situation that also featured RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau. He posted this message on Instagram:

“I’ve taken time to realize where my home is. After much consideration, I’ve decided my heart and soul belong in Chapel Hill. Tar Heel Nation, let’s work.”

It really didn’t take too long for Trimble to make a decision and return, either.

Per Inside Carolina, Trimble was hesitant to transfer and it was Hubert Davis who was able to get him back:

According to sources close to the situation, Trimble’s hesitancy on following through with the transfer began not long after entering the portal. During those initial days, Trimble and his family have had multiple conversations with Davis, as well as members of the UNC staff. To its credit, we’re told the Carolina staff immediately let Trimble know the door for a return would remain open.

“This whole thing wouldn’t be possible without UNC’s leader (Davis) being understanding,” a source familiar with Trimble’s thinking said.

In his sophomore season in 2023-24, Trimble did see an uptick in production, averaging 5.2 points per game and did shoot 41.9 percent from the three-point line. He was also a key defensive player for the Tar Heels as well.

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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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Coby White named a NBA Most Improved Player finalist

Former UNC basketball star Coby White was named one of three finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player (MIP) award.

Coby White’s season with the Chicago Bulls might’ve ended already, but that hasn’t stopped the former Tar Heel name from popping up in conversation as he was announced as one of the three finalists for the Most Improved Player (M.I.P) award. 

White joins Alperen Sengun and Tyrese Maxey as the three finalists for the award. White got paid this off-season, signing a three-year, $36M contract that now seems like a steal of a deal. This season, White had career highs across the board, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds.

White had eight 30-point performances on the season, including a special 42-point night to beat the Atlanta Hawks in the Bulls NBA play-in game.

 

Of the three candidates, Maxey is the only one to make the All-Star game, but that doesn’t mean he made the bigger strides. White had the biggest increase in points (+9.4) and rebounds (+1.6). Sengun had a slight edge in assists (+2.7) over White’s (+2.3). 

If White wins the award, he will become the first Tar Heel to do so. He will become the second Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player since Brandon Ingram from Duke won the award in 2019. 

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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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