UNC Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Tar Heels
Projected starting lineup
Point Guard – Elliot Cadeau (Freshman)
Much of the success UNC has enjoyed in the past two decades can be traced back to exemplary point guard play. Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, and Joel Berry II were the floor generals on national title-winning teams, and in Elliot Cadeau, UNC might have found the perfect player to fill that role. Cadeau impressed in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball league this summer, and early reports out of Carolina practices already have the Carolina faithful dreaming big.
Well embedded moles in Chapel Hill firmly believe that Elliott Cadeau will be the best passing point guard that North Carolina has had since Kendall Marshall.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 29, 2023
Tar Heels didn't have a single player average more than 3.2 APG last season.
Shooting guard – RJ Davis (Senior)
The addition of Cadeau should free RJ Davis up to play more of a combo guard role, a better fit for the New York native, especially with Caleb Love no longer in the fold. Davis was one of the few bright spots for the Tar Heels last season, averaging a career-high 16.1 points while also chipping in 3.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds. Davis was a key component in the Heels’ 2022 run, and his return to school this year shows that he wasn’t satisfied leaving on a sour note.
Small forward – Cormac Ryan (Grad Senior)
In welcoming Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan to the team, the Heels filled a desperate need for outside shooting. Ryan was thrust into a larger role on an undermanned Fighting Irish team last year, and his efficiency suffered as a result. Playing a complementary role in Chapel Hill should allow him to regain his form from 2021-22, when he shot over 40% from three and helped lead the Irish to a tie for second in the ACC.
Power forward – Harrison Ingram (Junior)
Carolina was extremely active in the transfer portal, and the biggest win for Hubert Davis and his staff was securing the services of Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram. The 6’7″ forward has the passing instincts of a point guard, and his 3.7 assists per game would have led the Tar Heels last season. Having Ingram and Cadeau in the lineup should space the floor and help the Heels improve upon their abysmal ball movement last year, when they ranked near the bottom of the entire NCAA in assist rate.
Center – Armando Bacot (Grad Senior)
Bacot is already firmly entrenched in the Carolina record books, having eclipsed Tyler Hansbrough last year for the school record in rebounds and double-doubles. For his final season in Chapel Hill, though, Bacot would much rather experience the kind of team success that he spearheaded two years ago. The big man appeared last month on Dick Vitale’s preseason first-team All-America list, and his post presence will go a long way in determining if Carolina can make a run in Hubert Davis’ third year at the helm.