Former UNC men’s basketball standout Leaky Black has signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, marking Black’s first foray into the NBA.

Black, who is originally from Concord, N.C., played five seasons at Carolina under head coaches Roy Williams and Hubert Davis, becoming known for his outstanding defensive ability. Some of Black’s notable defensive performances include holding Duke star A.J. Griffin to a combined 11 points in UNC’s two wins against the Blue Devils in 2022. Black also held Alabama star Brandon Miller (selected by the Hornets with the second overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft) to a 4-21 shooting night in the teams’ four-overtime marathon during the PK85 tournament last November. Black earned spots on the ACC All-Defensive Team in 2022 and 2023, becoming Carolina’s first representative on the team since Brice Johnson in 2016.

Though never known for his offense, Black improved his scoring prowess toward the end of his Carolina career. The 2022-23 season saw Black set a career-high with 18 points against Wake Forest, then reach that total again against Florida State. He shot a combined 6-9 on three-pointers in those two games and finished with a 32.6 three-point percentage on the year, second-best on the team among players with at least 20 attempts.

Black finished his five-year college career as UNC’s all-time leader in games played with 155 (130 of which he started), breaking a record previously held by Deon Thompson. Like Thompson, Black represented Carolina at the Final Four, starting every game during the 2021-22 season and becoming known as one-fifth of the team’s “Iron 5” lineup. Black played all 40 minutes against Duke in the national semifinals, posting eight points, nine rebounds (six offensive), two assists and a block. He’s one of only five Tar Heels in program history to record at least 600 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Tracking Which UNC Men's Basketball Players Have Entered the 2026 Transfer Portal
The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal opened Tuesday, April 7, the day after the national championship game. Following UNC head coach Hubert Davis’ dismissal on March 24, several Tar Heels have entered their names into the portal and pursue other opportunities. Here’s a list of which players have either made announcements or are reported to […]
5-Star Commit Dylan Mingo Will Not Join UNC Men's Basketball
Five-star guard prospect Dylan Mingo, who pledged to join the UNC men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season, will not come to Chapel Hill after all. Mingo, a 6-foot-5 guard from Long Island who ESPN rated as the No. 9 overall player in his recruiting class, originally committed to UNC on Feb. 17, less than […]
Jarin Stevenson to Return to UNC Men's Basketball for Senior Season
Jarin Stevenson will return to the UNC men’s basketball season and play his senior season in Chapel Hill for head coach Michael Malone. Stevenson made the announcement on social media Monday. View this post on Instagram The 6-foot-10 wing never formally entered his name to the NCAA transfer portal following the end of the men’s […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Former Providence Head Coach Kim English as Assistant
According to reports by both Inside Carolina and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the UNC men’s basketball program is hiring former Providence head coach Kim English to Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill. English spent the past three seasons with the Friars, though Providence finished with losing record in both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, leading to […]
Virginia Tech Transfer Neoklis Avdalas Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Neoklis Avdalas, who spent his first season in college basketball playing at Virginia Tech, reportedly committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal Monday. Originally from Athens, Greece, Avdalas played professionally in the Greek HEBA A1 league for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, averaging 7.7 points per game. The 6-foot-9 […]
UNC's Luka Bogavac to Enter Transfer Portal After 1 Season
After one season in Chapel Hill, UNC wing Luka Bogavac is entering his name into the transfer portal. Bogavac’s journey to Carolina was a long one. After committing to the Tar Heels during the summer, the Montenegrin national dealt with eligibility issues which kept him out of UNC’s two exhibition contests. He was eventually cleared […]
Chansky's Notebook: Past and Present
Michael Malone may not come from the “Carolina Family,” but Hubert Davis made him feel like an adopted son.
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Chuck Martin as Associate Head Coach
Michael Malone is already working to fill out his staff. According to reports from both Inside Carolina and college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Malone and UNC are hiring Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin to be the Tar Heels’ associate head coach. Michael Malone has landed his top assistant, as Arkansas' Chuck Martin is set to join […]
Chansky's Notebook: New York Fire
David Glenn digs into the background of new UNC men's basketball head coach Michael Malone, who was introduced Tuesday.
'I'm Attacking This Job': Michael Malone Introduces Himself to the Carolina Family
The next chapter in the long history of UNC men’s basketball began at 6 p.m. on the dot Tuesday night at the Dean Smith Center.
›