NCAA Basketball: Top 25 impact freshmen classes for 2023-24 season

17. North Carolina Tar Heels

No team was more disappointing in NCAA Basketball than the Tar Heels, the first ever to go from preseason No. 1 to missing the NCAA Tournament. Nine players have since left, with the team adding five transfers. Most recently, UNC landed West Virginia forward, James Okonkwo.

He’ll be competing with Zayden High for minutes in the frontcourt. High is a 6’9 forward ranked in the top 100 overall. He can play both inside and out and has a good offensive game. His versatility will work well with center Armando Bacot and depending on how the other transfers look, could be in line for sizeable minutes.

But the star attraction this offseason for North Carolina is Elliot Cadeau, a five-star guard prospect from the 2024 class that reclassified to play next season. He’s a 6’1 playmaker that’s a true point guard and not only replaces Caleb Love in the backcourt but likely slides RJ Davis more to an off-the-ball role in the lineup.

The Tar Heels are hoping to bounce back next season and have two ACC stars in Bacot and Davis. If Cadeau can be an instant impact player, they’ll get back to the top tier of the conference next season.