When Joel Berry retired from basketball in August, he told Tar Heel fans they “might see me back on TV again soon, I’ll leave it at that.”

Berry has now made good on his promise, as the ACC Network announced Monday that Berry and former UNC teammate KJ Smith will be joining the network as analysts for the upcoming basketball season. The news was first reported by The News & Observer and confirmed by UNC Basketball.

Berry will be a weekly contributor to the ACC Network’s show “Nothing But Net,” which airs every Sunday during basketball season. Smith will appear on the show “All ACC” and also contribute on social media.

“College basketball is everything to me,” Berry told The News & Observer. “I thought it would be something to where I can stay attached to the game.”

“I kind of realized that I liked, speaking more than more of the writing part of [media] and I realized I’m good at breaking down the game and talking to different guys,” Smith said. “And yeah, when the opportunity came from ESPN, I couldn’t turn it down. I was extremely excited and I’m excited to be a part of the team.”

Smith had previously been an analyst and contributor for the website On3.com. Smith’s father, Kenny, who also played at Carolina, is a well-known studio analyst for TNT’s NBA studio show, “Inside the NBA.”

Berry and Smith were teammates on the 2017-18 UNC basketball team which advanced to the finals of the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y. After Berry graduated, Smith played under former head coach Roy Williams for two more seasons before graduating. He transferred to Carolina from Pacific prior to the 2017-18 season.

 

Featured image via ACC Network

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
Check Out the Complete Schedule for UNC's 'ACC Network Takeover' July 8
The ACC Network will feature 24 hours of Tar Heel highlights from the 2024-25 athletic year Tuesday as part of its annual “ACC Network Takeover.” Programming begins at midnight and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Featured games include the women’s basketball team’s win against No. 10 NC State at Carmichael Arena back in February. Those who […]
International Prospect Sayon Keita Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Sayon Keita, a seven-foot center currently playing with FC Barcelona in Spain, has committed to the UNC men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season. View this post on Instagram Keita, originally from Bamako, Mali, is currently 18 years old and will arrive in Chapel Hill with multiple years of eligibility. But the belief is he […]
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 Season
As Michael Malone embarks on his first season as the head coach of the UNC men’s basketball program, he’s gotten busy securing the additions of several newcomers to the program. Malone and his staff have mined from traditional high school recruiting and the transfer portal to fill out Carolina’s roster, and that work is continuing […]
Northwestern's Cade Bennerman Announces Commitment to UNC Men's Basketball
Cade Bennerman, who spent his freshman season at Northwestern, announced his commitment to UNC out of the transfer portal Monday. Bennerman, a seven-foot center, arrived at Northwestern as a three-star recruit out of high school who 247 Sports ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee. He was a star at Nashville’s […]
UNC's Henri Veesaar to Declare for NBA Draft
UNC center Henri Veesaar plans to leave Chapel Hill and declare for the NBA Draft. The news came as Veesaar was approaching the deadline to enter his name to the draft process, which is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 24. “This journey didn’t happen alone,” Veesaar said in a statement Friday evening. “To my family […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Arena
Art Chansky wonders aloud whether alumni and fans can afford to support UNC in this ever-changing world of play for play.
Florida Atlantic's Maxim Logue to Transfer to UNC Men's Basketball
UNC added another piece out of the transfer portal Tuesday, as Inside Carolina reported the Tar Heels earned a commitment from Florida Atlantic big man Maxim Logue. Logue will have two years of eligibility remaining. BREAKING: North Carolina has added to its post depth by getting a commitment from Florida Atlantic big man Maxim Logue […]
NC State's Matt Able Commits to UNC Men's Basketball Out of Transfer Portal
The Tar Heels are bringing in a familiar face out of the transfer portal. Matt Able, who spent his freshman season at NC State, announced his commitment to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the portal Tuesday. As a rising sophomore, Able will have three years of eligibility remaining. Inside Carolina first reported […]
Utah Transfer Terrence Brown Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Terrence Brown, who spent the 2025-26 season with Utah, committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal on Tuesday. Brown, who will have one season of eligibility remaining, first made the announcement through On3’s Joe Tipton before sharing his own commitment post. View this post on Instagram NEWS: Utah transfer […]
Report: Former Providence Head Coach Kim English Will Not Join UNC Men's Basketball
Update: After initially reporting former Providence head coach Kim English would be joining Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that English has elected not to do so. 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 […]
›