UNC Basketball returns this year after a forgettable season that saw them start as a preseason No. 1 in most rankings but finished 20-13 on the year. The Tar Heels put together an 11-9 record in the ACC, good for seventh in the standings, and missed the NCAA Tournament after back-to-back appearances in the seasons prior. They return with a revamped roster and just two of their top scorers from a season ago looking for better odds.
The Tar Heels certainly struck gold with some new acquisitions out of the transfer portal. They’ll welcome five new faces out of the portal including Harrison Ingram (Stanford), Paxson Wojcik (Brown), and two names that should be familiar in Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville) and Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame).
R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot are back, but they’ll have a completely different supporting cast around them with just Jalen Washington and Seth Trimble returning with them. The newcomers certainly bring a different dynamic for the Tar Heels and they should have some depth on their side to work with in 2023-24.
The potential is there for this group to mesh together a lot better than last year’s group. Their scoring offense ranked 71st (76.2 ppg) in the NCAA despite having four double-figure scorers in the rotation this past season. It was back to the drawing board for Hubert Davis and his coaching staff as they look to compete beyond an NCAA Tournament. Take a look at the projected starting rotation and depth for North Carolina in 2023-24.
Point Guard
Starter – R.J. Davis (30 mpg)
R.J. Davis returns for the Tar Heels backcourt looking to pick up where he left off this past season. He put up 16.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, and 1.1 spg on 36.2 percent from deep and 43.8 percent from the floor. With his reasonable shooting numbers, it’s easy to see why he returned for his senior season.
He’ll share the backcourt duties with another guard who isn’t shy about sharing the ball in Paxson Wojcik. It’ll be a shock if the ball sticks on offense this season given the amount of IQ they’ll potentially have on the floor in 2023-23.
Bench – Elliot Cadeau (10 mpg)
Elliot Cadeau was a surprise move from the 2024 class into 2023 as he reclassed up and headed to school a year early. Getting Cadeau to reclass into the 2023 class given the predicament at point guard says that the newcomer is due for some playing time this season.
He dominated EYBL play at the point guard spot with New Heights Lightning before heading to Chapel Hill, averaging 15.7 ppg, 9.3 apg, 4.8 rpg and 1.8 spg on 50 percent shooting from the field across April and May. While college ball isn’t grassroots, it certainly gives a glimpse of what Cadeau is capable of on the floor.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Cormac Ryan (28 mpg)
Cormac Ryan creates an interesting conundrum for Coach Davis as an option in the rotation. He’s capable of starting at the small forward spot if the Tar Heels decide on a 3-guard rotation, but for now, he gets the nod at the shooting guard role. He averaged 12.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, and 1.3 spg on 34.4 percent from deep for Notre Dame in 2022-23. He’ll look to fill the voids left by the departures of Leaky Black and Larry Nance in last year’s rotation.
He’s got plenty of experience in the ACC and brings his own dynamic to the backcourt given his shooting prowess on the hardwood. He knocked down 2.0 3-pointers per contest and finished 16th in the ACC in 3-pointers made (63) with the Fighting Irish. After going through his own season of growing pains, look for him to breathe new life into the Tar Heels offense in 2023-24.
Bench – Seth Trimble (10 mpg), Paxson Wojcik (2 mpg)
Seth Trimble enters the backcourt rotation looking to make a splash in Year 2. He’s a name to keep an eye on at the Sixth Man role this season. He was used sparingly this past season, averaging 9.8 minutes per game. Look for Trimble to compete with their new transfers for minutes. Paxson Wojcik is also an option, though it’s unclear how his game will translate to the ACC.
Small Forward/Wing
Starter – Harrison Ingram (30 mpg)
Harrison Ingram joins the North Carolina rotation as a transfer with the potential to make quite the impact with his presence. He’s a playmaking wing that doesn’t need many shots to score points on offense. The Tar Heels shouldn’t have to look too far for a primary focal point on the wing on offense with Ingram joining the rotation. He averaged 10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 3.7 apg on 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 31.9 percent from behind the arc in 2022-23. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can do since winning the 2021-22 Pac-12 Rookie of the Year.
His game plateaued a bit with the Stanford Cardinal this past season. He should really blossom in North Carolina’s offense given his prowess for creating in isolation. He also gives them reasonable versatility on the wing at 6-foot-8. Look for him to play 30 minutes or more.
Bench – Cormac Ryan (7 mpg), Jalen Washington (3 mpg)
Cormac Ryan should get the bulk of the minutes at the backup small forward/wing spot for North Carolina. He’ll be relied upon much like Ingram to knock down shots on the perimeter when he’s not knocking down shots at the starting shooting guard role. Jalen Washington should get the nod at the third small forward/wing position. He appeared in 5.7 minutes of action per contest in 2022-23.
Power Forward
Starter – Jae’lyn Withers (25 mpg)
Jae’lyn Withers joins the North Carolina frontcourt after spending time with the Louisville Cardinals already in the ACC. He produced 8.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg this past season for the Cardinals. He looks to grow into a bigger role in Chapel Hill. With Withers in the rotation, it’s predictable to see Bacot head to the center/forward spot.
At 6-foot-9, Withers is capable of stretching the floor with his perimeter shooting while still being capable of rebounding and defending the paint. He shot 41.7 percent from deep and finished the season with a career-high 40 3-pointers made. Look for him to continue to improve his presence as a perimeter threat with the Tar Heels.
Bench – Zayden High (10 mpg), James Okonkwo (5 mpg)
Zayden High is a 6-foot-9 big man out of the state of Texas who should battle for playing time in the frontcourt. He’s shown he can be a two-way presence with AZ Compass Press (AZ) over the past few seasons and looks to make the jump in the college basketball landscape in the ACC.
He finished with 6.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.0 bpg on the NIBC stage for his squad. If High doesn’t work out, James Okonkwo (West Virginia) remains as the final transfer portal name to crack the rotation.
Center/Forward
Starter – Armando Bacot (30 mpg)
Armando Bacot returns looking to bounce back as a double-double machine for North Carolina this season. He’ll be an anchor in the paint defensively and a player for them to rely heavily on to score the ball in the post in 2023-24. He averaged 15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, and 1.0 bpg on 55.4 percent shooting from the floor in 2022-23. Bacot put up just 19 double-doubles across 32 appearances a season after putting together a career-high 31.
He’s got some high-IQ guards/wings in the rotation that will draw attention and get him the ball when needed. They’ve got the potential to be really good offensively this upcoming season. Look for his production to blossom this year and for his double-doubles to keep pace.
Bench – James Okonkwo (10 mpg)
James Okonkwo should get the bulk of his minutes at the backup center/forward spot. He joins the rotation looking to play a role after playing reserve minutes with the Mountaineers in the Big 12. He averaged 2.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg across 31 appearances this past season.
After appearing in just 11 minutes per contest, look for his minutes to hover around 10-15 minutes in the North Carolina frontcourt.