UNC Basketball: Impact of Jeremiah Francis transfering away from Tar Heels

Jeremiah Francis has decided to transfer after just one season with UNC Basketball.

UNC Basketball now has an open scholarship with freshman point guard Jeremiah Francis announcing that he is transferring from the school on April 23, according to Zach Fleer of 270Hoops. Francis came to Chapel Hill as a consensus three-star recruit and was expected to man the backcourt along with Anthony Harris eventually. Francis was the first member of the Tar Heels 2019 recruiting class.

“North Carolina was a great opportunity, and they have a great coaching staff,” Jerry Francis, Jeremiah’s father, told Brian Snow of 247Sports. “We are thankful for our time there and have no bad things to say. They absolutely did right by Jeremiah sticking with him his final two years of high school, so this was a hard decision.”

The 6-0 point got off to a late start to the season as he dealt with knee issues that had hampered him since his junior campaign in high school.  Once he finally made his debut on Dec. 8 against Virginia, Francis struggled offensively, mainly shooting the ball, and was average at best on the defensive end.

Francis finished his first collegiate season averaging 3.3 points along with 1.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 turnovers while shooting just 22.7% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc in 16 appearances. However, he did have a nice eight-game stretch where the Reynoldsburg (Ohio0 native performed decently well. From Dec.15 -Jan. 22, Francis produced 44 points, 23 assists, 16 rebounds, and 16 turnovers, which included scoring in double-figures in three straight games versus Gonzaga, UCLA, and Yale.

“Jeremiah’s a wonderful young man,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said. “Our players and coaches enjoyed him being part of our program. I truly admired the work he put in to get back on the court after two full seasons of being injured in high school. We wish him the best wherever he chooses to resume his career.”

So, where will Francis end up?

“I am just looking for a new home and a great school academically,” Francis said. “Most of all, I just want an opportunity to play.”

How does Francis leaving effect UNC?

Francis’ departure is a big blow to Carolina’s backcourt depth with Cole Anthony recently announcing that he was going to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the NBA Draft, although that decision was not unexpected. But in reality, it probably does not really hurt the Tar Heels as who knows how his health was going to hold up and truthfully, Francis probably wasn’t going to see extensive action in 2020-21 for the Tar Heels anyways.

The Heels have brought in five-star point guard Caleb Love along with four-star combo guard RJ Davis as part of their third-ranked 2000 recruiting class. Plus, Anthony Harris — who was injured for most of his freshman year — and Leaky Black can run the point.

In addition, Andrew Platek will also be on the roster, and North Carolina is the favorite to obtain the services of 2020 four-star recruit Kerwin Walton, who will announce his decision on April 25.