College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 29-8; 17-3, Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champions, lost in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Hubert Davis (Fourth Year; 78-31 at North Carolina, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Elliot Cadeau – 6’1″, 180 Sophomore

G RJ Davis – 6’0″, 180 5th-year Senior

G Ian Jackson – 6’4″, 190 Freshman

F Ven-Allen Lubin – 6’8″, 230 Junior

F/C Jalen Washington – 6’10”, 235 Junior

Experienced Reserves

G Seth Trimble – 6’3″, 195 Junior

W Cade Tyson – 6’7″, 200 Junior

F Jae’Lyn Withers – 6’9′, 230 5th-year Senior

F Tyzhaun Claude – 6’7″, 230 5th-year Senior

Freshmen

W Drake Powell – 6’6″, 195

F James Brown – 6’10”, 215

Expectations are different at a place like North Carolina. Most teams would be undeniably pumped to win a conference title and go to the Sweet Sixteen. The Tar Heels are not most teams. 

With a pair of All-American icons leading the way, just about everyone in Chapel Hill had hopes of competing for the national championship last year. After all, UNC had done so just a couple years back, with those same players. It wasn’t to be, though. Despite an excellent season, the Heels couldn’t reach that pinnacle at the end of March, and now legendary big man Armando Bacot is out of eligibility. 

His co-star, RJ Davis, has one more year left. Much to the joy of everyone who wears Carolina blue, he’s back to lead a newly-configured group of Tar Heels on another adventure. Make no mistake, it will be a renewed quest for the natty. 

At the same time, head coach Hubert Davis is looking to stand out in his own right. The 2023-24 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year has built quite the résumé through three seasons. And yet, when your debut season falls one win short of the ultimate prize, anything less is going to be viewed as sort of ‘meh’ in comparison. What’s more, some folks are still rankled over UNC failing to reach the Final Four a few months ago. His job isn’t to please every last fan, but you don’t take the job at a blue blood like North Carolina unless you want to compete at the highest level and build an unassailable legacy. Nothing is more unassailable than winning it all. Expectations are different at a place like North Carolina. And with the names that are back in Chapel Hill this fall, they remain firmly in place. 

There may not be a guard in the nation better than RJ Davis, who last season became a 2,000-point career scorer. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year, became a finalist for the Wooden Award, and was selected as a Consensus All-American. By every possible measure, Davis is one of America’s finest players, and his pursuit of the most elusive hardware will be a treat for anyone who enjoys watching a great one be great. 

In addition to leading the ACC in scoring and made triples, the 21.2 points that Davis produced on average ranked 16th nationally, and his 113 deep balls were the fourth-most in all the land. His evolution as a true knockdown outside shooter has given the Heels a constant weapon, and Davis draws some of the most vital defensive resources away from each opponent on UNC’s calendar. Not only does that make life easier for his teammates – his talent as a passer does, too. 

A true lead guard who generates all sorts of different opportunities, Davis is a high-end distributor. His combination of vision and highlight-generating instincts allow Davis to help coordinate things for Carolina’s offense while filling it up within the flow of everything around him. He’s always been exciting off the bounce, and Davis becomes borderline unstoppable when he’s getting to the rack and driving offense full court. Over the past three seasons, he’s also knocked down 42.4% of his mid-range shots, per Bart Torvik – when he’s cooking, there just aren’t many ways to neutralize Davis. One of the greatest shot-makers in ACC history, Davis is out to put the finishing touches on a landmark career and make some more March memories. 

There was great fanfare last fall for the arrival of 5-star point guard Elliot Cadeau as a Tar Heel. With elite passing skills and rare vision with the ball in his hands, Cadeau was exciting from the moment he stepped into UNC’s lineup. There are few players outside of the pro’s who process the action as it develops and react with such precise feeds as Cadeau, and he consistently helps his teammates to be their best. His ballhandling and especially the audacity and cleverness with which he executes some passes simply puts Cadeau on another level among great playmakers. All of that, and then you remember that he should have been a freshman this year; he reclassified and was running the show in Chapel Hill when he should have been a high school senior. 

Now that he’s got a full season in the ACC under his belt, Cadeau’s full range of abilities should be on display in exhilarating new ways. In spite of all of his creativity as a rookie, Cadeau could not shoot the ball effectively. He made just ten out of 53 (18.9%) three-point attempts, and plenty of opportunities were left to languish as defenses backed off of him on the perimeter, daring Cadeau to make them pay. There’s no doubt that Cadeau has worked on his craft this summer, and hopes to show off consistent range as a jump shooter plus make more of his foul shots as a sophomore. Hubert Brown is also hoping to see a bit more maturity from Cadeau when plays or calls don’t go the Heels’ way, as the youngster’s frustration at some moments last year was fairly obvious to see. All in all, for a not-quite-18-year-old, Cadeau showed an immense amount of promise and some clear objectives for improvement while a freshman. His rise towards stardom was always going to demand growth, and the blueprint is laid out clearly for Cadeau. This winter, he will take the next steps towards becoming one of the country’s best point guards. 

With two of the backcourt spots locked up, there are three new faces joining the Heels who will all be competing for the next-best perimeter minutes. Each brings a unique set of skills to the equation, and together, they should offer Carolina’s coaches myriad options to mix and match against different foes. Iron sharpens iron, they say, and it appears as though the foundry in Chapel Hill is going to produce something special this season. 

Belmont transfer Cade Tyson is one of the shootin’est wings in the country. He is also a native of Monroe, NC – a couple hours south of Chapel Hill – and after an All-Missouri Valley performance a year ago, Tyson hit the transfer portal and headed home. Across 61 games as a Bruin, he made 128 triples at a fantastic 44.6% rate. He’s got the easy, repeatable form from the outside to launch and rattle home three’s all day, and with all of the other weapons UNC has to feed him the rock, Tyson is going to do just that to some opponents this winter. Maybe the best thing about Tyson as a shooter is that he’s not a glass cannon; if the deep heaves aren’t falling, he’s plenty capable of getting buckets inside the arc, too. At Belmont, Tyson used his great footwork and instincts when moving without the ball to make 65.2% of his tries near the rim, and he glided around the in-between spots to sink 42.9% from mid-range, per Bart Torvik. 

The flashier of UNC’s two incoming 5-star prospects, Ian Jackson has all the bravado, two-way intensity, and tough shot-making ability you might expect from a New York City product. The Harlem-born, Bronx-bred Jackson played in last year’s McDonald’s All-American game, has represented Team USA’s U19 squad in international competition, and now will make big plays for the Heels. He can get a bit wild, but Jackson is explosive off the bounce and truly dynamic in transition. He can get hot from the outside and take over games, and when Jackson sees an advantage, he attacks it again and again. He’s also a strong defender whose confidence in taking on tough assignments shows, and Jackson can make stops and generate takeaways. He’s been accused of forcing up bad shots on occasion, and sometimes Jackson doesn’t make the same impact from game to game. Those things can be corrected, though. His size, athleticism, and skill level are top-notch, and when he’s rolling, Jackson is a flat-out showman. 

Ian Jackson has all the bravado, two-way intensity, and tough shot-making ability you might expect from a New York City product.

Carolina’s second 5-star is both a local kid and a cousin of his new coach. Drake Powell is related to Hubert Davis on his mother’s side, and since Elijah Davis, Hubert’s son, has joined North Carolina as a walk-on, there’s a genuine family feel to these Heels. 

On the court, Powell is a superfreak. He can defend almost any perimeter player at a very high level, and Powell combines ridiculous athleticism with an all-out style. He gets up higher off the floor on a bad jump than most players do at the best of times, and Powell’s hips and feet are just as fluid and quick as his reactions. He’s already strong enough to handle some forwards, and Powell is a perimeter shot blocker who simply engulfs lots of guards. His offense isn’t quite as advanced at this stage, and Powell is still seeking a dominant move or attribute to lean into. He naturally chases loose balls and hits the boards with equal alacrity, and Powell will score in transition and off of his hustle while the rest of his game comes together. 

After the conclusion of his sophomore season, Seth Trimble decided to check out life in the transfer portal. Two weeks later, he was out of it, and back to the Heels. He’s not quite as big as Powell but Trimble is a similarly elite athlete, and he’s been proving himself as a fantastic defender since arriving in Chapel Hill. With great quickness and bounce, Trimble makes life extremely difficult for his man defensively, and often makes plays by generating turnovers and then hammering down two points at the other end. He grew quite a bit as a shooter last year, but Trimble still has a ways to go in putting together a full scoring repertoire. With increased competition all around, Trimble will need to be more consistent than ever in order to significantly grow his role, but he’s proven his value already as a standout stopper. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

81.9 – Points Per Game (19th)

18.6 – Personal Fouls Per Game (320th)

46.0% – Opponent 2FG Percentage (27th)

50.2% – Team 2FG Percentage (217th)

4.1 – Blocks Per Game (81st)

Without Bacot patrolling the lane for the first time in five years, UNC has a slightly less burly frontcourt this year. Even so, the Heels have a great deal of talent, and most of it is still on the rise. The Heels will be Ven-Allen Lubin’s third program in three years. After taking solid steps at Notre Dame and Vanderbilt, Hubert Davis is excited to tell all about why he wanted to sign Lubin. 

“His versatility…His ability to rebound, defend, he can guard the post, he can guard guards out on the perimeter, his versatility on the offensive end, getting to the offensive glass, running in transition, his ability to shoot the ball from the outside but also handle and make plays from the perimeter, being able to score in the post,” Davis admired Lubin’s game this summer. 

While he’s quite a bit different from Bacot, Lubin will present new problems for defenses. He’s not huge, but Lubin has a 7’4″ wingspan, a solid frame, and nimble feet. While he’s probably not the most switchable big out there, he should be able to cover a wider range of opponents away from the rim than his predecessor. He can shoot it out to the three-point arc, and Lubin is a natural threat to pop or roll after setting a screen. He can also distribute the ball from inside the paint, and Lubin’s overall offensive awareness will be an asset. If he can continue to grow as both a post-up scorer and shooter, Lubin ought to give Carolina options in spacing out their offense. 

Two Tar Heel big guys are back from last year, and each will see a larger role now due to the skills they’ve shown. A 4-star recruit two years ago, Jalen Washington hasn’t been able to get many extended chunks of playing time so far. That’s about to change, and given how productive he was in spurts last year, there is excitement in Chapel Hill to see all that Washington can do. At 6’10”, Washington is a genuine shooting big who can be a big-time mismatch. He’s not a particularly potent low-post presence, though, and that has been viewed as a negative to some degree – enough so that even his contrast as compared to Bacot wasn’t enough to carve out a consistent sidekick role. Hubert Davis likes spacing the floor with shooters, though, and thus Washington has an angle. He’s put in diligent work this summer to improve his strength and defense in the lane, and if Washington can add a more consistent post-up element to his game, he could flourish. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N Iowa State/Auburn – November 26

@ Kansas – November 8

vs Alabama – December 4

N UCLA – December 21

N Florida – December 17

Former Louisville transfer Jae’Lyn Withers fit in nicely with the Heels last year…except that he became almost completely unable to make three-point jump shots. Two years ago with the Cardinals, Withers sank 40 triples at a terrific 41.7% rate. Last winter, he made four deep balls. For the season. At a 20.0% rate. He still shot 53.5% overall in his debut by converting 62.0% of his two-point tries, and Withers can be a tough matchup for smaller forwards. His usual offensive versatility has been a calling card for Withers, and he’ll be looking to recapture that reputation this season. 

The Heels also added another fifth-year player with previous ACC experience in Ty Claude, who played at Georgia Tech last winter. He’s not as big as UNC’s other forwards, but Claude is a no-nonsense rebounder whose physicality up front will be valuable. He can score around the basket, and when Hubert Davis wants to run shooters around a change-of-pace lineup, he can use Claude as the big. There’s also a dude named James Brown coming aboard this fall. The Tar Heels’ third rookie is a post player who can really scoot, and Brown is a good passer for a young big man. His combination of height, vision, and unselfishness make Brown a very intriguing offensive weapon to develop. He handles the ball smoothly, has good touch inside, and Brown uses both hands effectively near the basket. As he adds muscle and continues to grow as a post-up scorer, Brown will offer all sorts of possibilities as a facilitating post player. 

As befits a program that wants to win it all, the Tar Heels will be facing a non-conference schedule crammed full of quality opponents this winter. In addition to a trip to Maui, they’ll travel to Kansas while facing UCLA and Florida on neutral floors. Oh, and UNC will play host to Alabama. Such a slate will be a proving ground for this team’s potential in March, as the hits are going to come early and often. 

Though some things have changed in Chapel Hill, the belief that UNC should be competing for titles this winter remains. The guys who have decided to come back know that, and they are going to exhort the new guys towards a goal of playing into April this year. If North Carolina can prove that it’s got the brawn and skill inside to face down other fully-loaded contenders, they will be among America’s best teams. Led by the type of superstar guard that every team would love to have when all the chips are down, the Tar Heels are looking to hang another banner.