Chansky's Notebook: The Assemblage

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Carolina looks to be prioritizing smart, tough players in its rebuild.

The Tar Heels are three scholarships away from refilling the roster that lost eight to graduation and the transfer portal. They got their third incoming transfer Thursday night when rugged, sought-after sixth-year guard Cormac Ryan told Hubert Davis he will be enrolling this summer.

The 6-5 Ryan, who was granted an extra season by the NCAA after sitting out a year at Notre Dame under the old transfer rules, joins 6-8 Jae’Lyn Withers from Louisville and 6-4 Paxson Wojcik from Brown. All three bring a dozen years of experience and have been described as “smart” players who also shoot the 3-ball very well.

Rocked by traditionally atypical claims that UNC was not very team-oriented in the last disastrous season, Davis appears to be on a mission to shed that embarrassing tag that has dogged his alma mater during his first two years in charge.

Yes, there was that magical March of 2022 when Carolina shot the lights out on the way to the national championship game, but that was more stellar individual play than how Dean Smith and Roy Williams got into the hall of fame.

And with the so-called elite players not readily available in the portal, the Heels need to assemble a team whose sum is better than their individual parts. And nothing like how they free-lanced their way to poor shot selection and percentages compounded by a 368-345 assist-to-turnover ratio that wasn’t exactly a hallmark of unselfishness marking a storied program.

None of the newcomers have withering statistics but must have shown Davis they are willing to work hard on both ends of the court. Any Tar Heel highlight tapes Ryan, Withers and Wojcik watched on their visits had to be carefully edited snippets of team play not seen enough by a frustrated fan base that nevertheless showed support despite its disappointment.

The talent of the returning players cannot be denied. Armando Bacot, who will use his fifth season in pursuit of the same ACC rebounding records he broke at UNC, needs to play in a more open offense, where his nose for the ball and relentless effort will result in more possessions and better offensive rebounding.

Senior R.J. Davis has to stay healthy to prove he is among the best perimeter shooters in the country. The three other starters will come from preseason practice, which looks to have a more-talented mix and experience that should result in a deep bench it sorely needs.

The potential stars-to-be are already on the roster, such as 6-10 sophomore Jalen Washington as a high-low combination with Bacot and athletic junior guard D’Marco Dunn.

There will be more transfers, such as most recent commit, 6-7 Harrison Ingram from Stnaford, plus two new freshmen and perhaps a reclassification from the 2024 recruiting class. But on paper, it’s their veteran chops that make them older, tougher and, hopefully, far more together than what we saw last season.

Featured image via Associated Press/Jacob Kupferman

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Chansky’s Notebook: The Assemblage

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