Filling the shoes of an all-time program great is never easy.
The UNC men’s basketball team is trying to do exactly that in the transfer portal, as it tries to replace the production of Armando Bacot with an experienced center. Bacot left Chapel Hill as the program leader in rebounds and double-doubles, a mark he could hold forever, given how rapidly players enter and exit a program nowadays.
North Carolina had ties to Aaron Bradshaw, Cliff Omoruyi and Oumar Ballo. The latter two spent the majority of last season in starting roles. The Tar Heels also had their eye on another towering center, Danny Wolf, only for him to choose Michigan.
Despite all this, UNC should feel comfortable about the position it’s in.
Feels like there's been some overreaction about #UNC's recent "misses" in the portal.
It's May 7 guys, there's still plenty of time (and options) left. Plus, HD is BIG on landing guys that want to play for Carolina for the RIGHT reasons (NIL is NOT the issue).
Patience. 🧘♂️
— Jacob Turner (@JacobTurnerTHI) May 7, 2024
In case you’re focusing more on the misses, let us remind you Jalen Washington has been waiting for his starting opportunity behind Bacot.
Washington averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last year, but he also never played more than 16 minutes per contest.
I like Washington a lot because not only can he play solid basketball in the paint, but he has a solid jumper and the ability to stretch the floor, something Bacot didn’t do. Washington is also 6 feet, 10 inches.
Behind Washington returns Zayden High, a 6-foot-9 forward who likely slots into a reserve center role this coming fall. High played in 23 games last season, but North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis repeatedly praised High’s energy and intangibles.
Rounding out the center rotation will be James Brown, an incoming four-star center from Link Academy. Brown, who is 6-foot-10, will likely see minutes at the five spot while High plays mainly at power forward.
Oh – and there’s a possibility the Tar Heels snag one (or more) available transfers in the portal.
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