Busting Brackets
Fansided

UNC Basketball: Tar Heels hosting several key transfers and recruits this week

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devilsat Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devilsat Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 24: The North Carolina Tar Heels reacts to a play against the Washington Huskies during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 24: The North Carolina Tar Heels reacts to a play against the Washington Huskies during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

UNC Basketball have been hit hard by departures, leaving coach Roy Williams to examine the transfer market. The Tar Heels will host three prospective transfer students following the Easter holiday.

Good ole Roy Williams has a lot of work left to do before heading on vacation as UNC Basketball have been hit hard by defections and rejections from top high school prospects. Since the end of a disappointing 2019 NCAA Tournament, which saw Carolina unexpectedly go out in the Sweet 16, the Tar Heels have lost five players. While none of the player’s departures were surprising — as three of the players had no eligibility left — it has left the program scrambling. Which is why Williams has decided to go hard after three top transfer players.

Seniors Cam Johnson, Luke Maye, and Kenny Williams along with freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little are the players no longer with the program. White and Little left early for the NBA draft and are expected to be first-round selections. Johnson also should be selected in the opening round of the 2019 draft. Meanwhile, Maye will likely get an NBA Summer League invite and could earn a two-way contract, although he will likely spend most of the season either in the G-League or overseas. Williams’ status is more up in the air though he should get a look to play professionally somewhere due to his athleticism and playmaking ability.

Williams has signed two players as part of his 2019 recruiting class — 6-foot-3 point guard Jeremiah Francis, a consensus top-170  recruit, and consensus top-31 big man Armando Bacot. That leaves him with three open spots. Williams is still waiting on top high school recruits Cole Anthony, Precious Achiuwa and Anthony Harris to make a decision. Anthony is expected to choose UNC when he decides on April 23.

Carolina will host three players this week. Harris will be in Chapel Hill on April 22-23. Meanwhile, Charleston southern grad transfer Christian Keeling will be on campus (April 23-25) and William and Mary transfer Justin Pierce will visit on April 28.