2023–24 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team explained

Sport:basketball
Year:2023–24
Prev Year:2022–23
Next Year:2024–25
Team:North Carolina Tar Heels
Conference:Atlantic Coast Conference
Short Conf:ACC
Coachrank:6
Aprank:7
Record:29–8
Conf Record:17–3
Head Coach:Hubert Davis
Hc Year:3rd
Asst Coach1:Jeff Lebo
Ac1 Year:3rd
Asst Coach2:Sean May
Ac2 Year:3rd
Asst Coach3:Brad Frederick
Ac3 Year:7th
Arena:Dean E. Smith Center
Champion:ACC regular season champions
Tourney:NCAA tournament
Tourney Result:Sweet Sixteen

The 2023–24 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by coach Hubert Davis, who entered his third season as UNC's head coach, and was assisted by Jeff Lebo, Sean May, and Brad Frederick. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Tar Heels began the season ranked nineteenth in the nation, and progressed up the rankings to fourteenth after three straight wins. It was with that ranking that they entered their early-season tournament, the Battle 4 Atlantis. They won their first game against Northern Iowa before losing in overtime to Villanova. They defeated twentieth-ranked Arkansas to finish in third place in the tournament. They then beat tenth-ranked Tennessee in the ACC–SEC Challenge and won their ACC opener over Florida State. They were defeated by eventual national champion, then fifth-ranked UConn in the Jimmy V Classic and lost a rivalry match to fourteenth-ranked Kentucky. They defeated seventh-ranked Oklahoma in the Jumpman Invitational to move up to ninth in the rankings. The defeat of Oklahoma started a string of ten straight wins for the team, including rivalry wins over NC State and Wake Forest and a ten-point defeat of sixteenth-ranked Clemson. At the end of the streak, the team reached its highest ranking during the season, third. The Tar Heels had a rough stretch after that, winning only two of their next five games. However, one of those two wins was against bitter rival, and seventh-ranked Duke. The team won its last six games including rivalry re-matches with NC State and ninth-ranked Duke.

The Tar Heels finished the season 29–8 and 17–3 in ACC play to finish as regular season champions. As the first seed in the ACC tournament, they earned a bye to the Quarterfinals where defeated ninth seed Florida State. They defeated Pittsburgh in the Semifinals, but could not overcome NC State for a third time in the season in the Final. They lost 76–84 to finish as runner-up. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and were placed as a first seed in the West region. They defeated sixteenth-seed Wagner in the First Round, and ninth-seed Michigan State in the Second Round before falling to fourth-seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen to end their season.

Previous season

See also: 2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team.

After starters Caleb Love, R. J. Davis, Armando Bacot, and Leaky Black, who had been key pieces in the 2021–22 team's National Runner-Up finish, decided to return for the 2022–23 season, the Tar Heels earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason AP Poll. Despite the lofty expectations and desires to win the championship that had narrowly eluded them the season prior, the 2022–23 Tar Heels struggled mightily, finishing the season 20–13 (11–9 in conference play) and missing the NCAA tournament altogether. The 2022–23 team became the first preseason No. 1 to miss the NCAA tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. After missing the "big dance," the Tar Heels issued a statement declining a bid for the NIT.[1]

Bacot, despite battling ankle and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss some time, proved to be one of the lone bright spots on the season, as neither Love, Davis, nor Black returned to their form from the 2022 tournament run. Bacot set all-time program records for career double-doubles by passing Billy Cunningham's school record of 61, and he also became the all-time leading rebounder in program history by passing Tyler Hansbrough's record as well.[2]

Offseason

After declining a bid to the NIT, the offseason began sooner than many in Chapel Hill had expected. On March 13, 2023, the Transfer Portal officially opened, and like many other programs, the Tar Heels immediately lost players, with first-year reserve forward Tyler Nickel[3] and senior Justin McKoy[4] both entering the portal. Nickel transferred to Virginia Tech, and McKoy chose to spend his final season of eligibility at Hawaii.[5] [6]

Following Nickel and McKoy, sophomore guard/forward Dontrez Styles announced his intentions to leave the Tar Heels and enter the transfer portal.[7] He committed to Georgetown in April.[8]

Puff Johnson also entered his name into the transfer portal, on March 22, 2023.[9] He later committed to Penn State.[10]

Leaky Black and Pete Nance, who had both used their extra year of eligibility provided by the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2022–23 season also left the team, as both had their eligibility expire after using their fifth-year options.

Later that week, both R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot announced their decisions to return for another season in Chapel Hill.[11] [12]

Reserve forward Will Shaver announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on March 25, 2023.[13] After originally committing to Belmont, Shaver announced in a tweet that he had reopened his transfer recruitment.[14] He later committed to UAB, deciding to return to his hometown of Birmingham.[15]

After much speculation as to what his future would hold, Caleb Love decided to enter the transfer portal and play his senior season elsewhere.[16] Love originally committed to Michigan,[17] but decommitted after reported issues with transfer credits.[18] He later announced his commitment to Arizona, reuniting with former Tar Heel assistant Steve Robinson, who is currently an assistant at Arizona.[19]

The Tar Heels sought to fill these departures by utilizing the transfer portal to bring in new players. They received their first commitment when former Brown guard Paxson Wojcik committed to the Tar Heels for his final season of eligibility.[20] He is the son of Doug Wojcik, who was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 2000–2003 under Matt Doherty.

The team received its second transfer portal commitment in April, as former Louisville forward, and Charlotte native, Jae'Lyn Withers announced his decision to return to his home state and transfer to Carolina.[21]

Later in the month, former Notre Dame guard Cormac Ryan committed to the Tar Heels following an official visit to Chapel Hill.[22]

Coach Davis' Tar Heels received another portal commitment on April 22, when former Stanford wing Harrison Ingram, the 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, committed to the Tar Heels.[23]

On May 11, sophomore guard D'Marco Dunn entered the transfer portal.[24]

Also in May, guard Elliot Cadeau, who had been committed to the Tar Heels as part of their 2024 recruiting class, announced his intentions to reclassify and head to Chapel Hill for the 2023-24 season.[25]

After a few months of relative quiet, the Tar Heels received another transfer portal commitment in July, when former West Virginia reserve big man James Okonkwo committed to the team.[26]

Departures

North Carolina Departures
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for Departure
sortname1 6'9" 205 Graduate Concord, NCExhausted eligibility
sortnameD'Marco Dunn 11 6'5" 190 Sophomore Tucson, AZTransferred to Penn State[27]
sortname14 6'8" 200 Junior Moon Township, PATransferred to Penn State
sortname2 6'4" 200 Junior St. Louis, MOTransferred to Arizona[28]
sortnameJustin McKoy 22 6'8" 220 Senior Raleigh, NCTransferred to Hawaii[29]
sortname32 6'11" 230 Graduate Akron, OHExhausted eligibility
sortnameTyler Nickel 24 6'7" 220 Freshman Harrisonburg, VATransferred to Virginia Tech[30]
sortnameWill Shaver 21 6'10" 260 Freshman Transferred to UAB[31]
sortnameDontrez Styles 3 6'6" 210 Sophomore Transferred to Georgetown[32]

Additions

Incoming Transfers

North Carolina Incoming Transfers
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious SchoolYears RemainingDate Committed
sortname55 F 6'7" 230 Junior 2 April 22, 2023
sortnameJames Okonkwo 32 F 6'8" 240 Junior West Virginia2 July 6, 2023
sortname3 G 6'5 195 Graduate 1 April 20, 2023
sortname24 F 6'9" 220 Senior 2 April 11, 2023
sortnamePaxson Wojcik 8 G 6'5" 200 Graduate 1 March 27, 2023

Recruiting Class

Schedule and results

|-!colspan=12 style=| Exhibition|-!colspan=12 style=| Regular Season|-!colspan=12 style=|ACC Tournament|-!colspan=12 style=| NCAA tournament

[33]

Rankings

See also: 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: North Carolina declines NIT invite after becoming first preseason No. 1 team to miss NCAA Tournament. Cobb. David. cbssports.com. CBS Sports. March 12, 2023. March 13, 2023.
  2. Web site: PHOTOS: Tyler Hansbrough celebrates Armando Bacot breaking record. Pearson. Zack. January 22, 2023. March 13, 2023.
  3. Web site: BREAKING: UNC Freshman Tyler Nickel Enters Transfer Portal. McMillan. Sherrell. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 13, 2023. March 13, 2023.
  4. Web site: UNC's Justin McKoy Enters Transfer Portal. Martin. Ross. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 13, 2023. March 13, 2023.
  5. Web site: North Carolina transfer Tyler Nickel commits to Virginia Tech. Tipton. Joe. on3.com. On3 Sports. March 30, 2023. April 7, 2023.
  6. Web site: Hawaii basketball gets commitment from North Carolina’s Justin McKoy. Shimabuku. Christian. khon2.com. April 4, 2023. April 7, 2023.
  7. tiptonedits. Joe. Tipton. 1636756469507842048. NEWS: North Carolina guard Dontrez Styles plans to enter the transfer portal, he tells @On3sports..
  8. Web site: UNC Basketball: Dontrez Styles announces transfer decision. Delahanty. Nick. keepingitheel.com. Fansided. April 9, 2023. April 9, 2023.
  9. Web site: UNC's Puff Johnson to Enter Transfer Portal. Sherman. Ben. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 22, 2023. March 22, 2023.
  10. Web site: Former Moon star Puff Johnson decides to transfer from North Carolina to Penn State. DiPaola. Jerry. triblive.com. April 26, 2023. April 27, 2023.
  11. Web site: Armando Bacot Returning to UNC. Sherman. Ben. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 22, 2023. March 24, 2023.
  12. Web site: RJ Davis Staying at UNC for Senior Season. Smith. Adam. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 24, 2023. March 24, 2023.
  13. VerbalCommits. 1639685346131685376. North Carolina F Will Shaver has entered the transfer portal..
  14. willshaver6. Shaver. Will. 1655240925344399362. Thank you to the Belmont staff for your recruitment and love yall showed me....
  15. willshaver6. Shaver. Will. 1656708251893874689. City on my back Fr..
  16. Web site: BREAKING: Caleb Love Leaving UNC, Entering Transfer Portal. Smith. Adam. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. March 27, 2023. March 27, 2023.
  17. Web site: Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love transferring to Michigan. Borzello. Jeff. ESPN.com. ESPN. April 7, 2023. April 7, 2023.
  18. Web site: Caleb Love decommits from Michigan men's basketball team, per report. Ford. Ryan. usatoday.com. USA Today. May 18, 2023. May 21, 2023.
  19. Web site: North Carolina transfer Caleb Love commits to Arizona Wildcats. Pascoe. Bruce. tucson.com. Arizona Daily Star. May 30, 2023. May 30, 2023.
  20. Web site: Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik commits to UNC basketball. Baxley. Rodd. fayobserver.com. The Fayetteville Observer. March 27, 2023. March 27, 2023.
  21. Web site: Former Louisville forward Jae'Lyn Withers commits to UNC men's basketball. Nelson. Hunter. dailytarheel.com. The Daily Tar Heel. April 11, 2023. April 11, 2023.
  22. Web site: BREAKING: Notre Dame Transfer Cormac Ryan Commits to UNC. McMillan. Sherrell. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. April 20, 2023. April 20, 2023.
  23. Web site: UNC picks up transfer commitment from Harrison Ingram: How will the former Cardinal fit?. Marks. Brendan. Moore. CJ. Vecenie. Sam. theathletic.com. The Athletic. April 22, 2023. April 22, 2023.
  24. Web site: Smith . Adam . UNC’s D’Marco Dunn Enters Transfer Portal . 247Sports . 11 May 2023 . en.
  25. Web site: North Carolina hoops recruit Elliot Cadeau to enroll early. Givony. Jonathan. ESPN.com. ESPN. May 30, 2023. May 30, 2023.
  26. Web site: BREAKING: West Virginia's James Okonkwo Will Transfer to UNC. McMillan. Sherrell. InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  27. Web site: Nittany Lions Sign North Carolina Transfer D’Marco Dunn. gopsusports.com. Penn State Athletics. June 8, 2023. September 7, 2023.
  28. Web site: Former UNC Star Caleb Love Transfers to Arizona After Decommitting from Michigan. Walsh. Erin. bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. May 30, 2023. May 30, 2023.
  29. Web site: UNC basketball transfer Justin McKoy announces commitment to Hawaii. 247Sports. Brad. Crawford. April 4, 2023. September 7, 2023.
  30. Web site: North Carolina transfer Tyler Nickel commits to Virginia Tech. on3.com. On3. Joe. Tipton. March 30, 2023. September 7, 2023.
  31. Web site: North Carolina forward Will Shaver announces transfer commitment to UAB. on3.com. On3. Alex. Weber. May 11, 2023. September 7, 2023.
  32. Web site: Dontrez Styles commits to Georgetown. Sports Illustrated. Bryant. Baucom. April 10, 2023. September 7, 2023.
  33. Web site: 2022-23 Men's Basketball Schedule. North Carolina Sports. August 19, 2022.