With the 2022-23 UNC men’s basketball season officially over, players are free to enter their names into the transfer portal and be recruited by other schools. Here’s a complete list of which Tar Heels have reportedly done that so far:
G Caleb Love (St. Louis, MO)
One of the most polarizing Tar Heels in recent memory, Love was known for his ability to catch fire on the court — after extended cold spells. His roller-coaster style of play divided and thrilled Tar Heel fans for three seasons, and they began humorously referring to it as “The Caleb Love Experience.” Some of Love’s best moments with Carolina have become etched in Tar Heel lore, such as his clutch three-pointer against Duke in the Final Four to seal an 81-77 win. A former five-star recruit, Love will no doubt be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal. He will have two years of eligibility at his new school.
F Will Shaver (Birmingham, AL)
Image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati
Shaver first arrived in Chapel Hill midway through the 2021-22 season as an early enrollee. And while he never appeared in a game that season, he still dressed and traveled with the team. Shaver finally got some playing time early in the 2022-23 campaign, but a foot injury prematurely ended his season before conference play began. He will have three years of eligibility at his new school.
F Puff Johnson (Moon Township, PA)
The younger brother of former Carolina star Cameron Johnson, Puff Johnson’s UNC career was unfortunately defined by injuries. Johnson dealt with various injuries during each of his three seasons in Chapel Hill, and ended up redshirting his true freshman year before missing the beginnings of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. When he was on the court, Johnson was known for his all-out effort, frequently diving on the floor or hustling for a rebound. His best performance as a Tar Heel came in the 2022 national championship, when Johnson was forced to play extra minutes due to a limited Armando Bacot. Johnson scored 11 points in 18 minutes in the 72-69 loss. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at his new school.
F Dontrez Styles (Kinston, N.C.)
Like Nickel and McKoy, Styles never saw consistent playing time for the Tar Heels. In fact, Styles’ best moments as a Tar Heel came during his freshman season. His corner three-pointer in overtime against No. 1 seed Baylor in the NCAA Tournament was one of the most memorable shots of Carolina’s run to the championship game. But Styles saw his playing time dip this season and was surpassed in the rotation by fellow sophomore D’Marco Dunn. Styles played just 89 total minutes this season and scored only 21 total points. He appeared in less than half of Carolina’s games this season and didn’t play at all in the season-ending loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament. He will have two years of eligibility at his new school.
SG Tyler Nickel (Harrisonburg, VA)
A highly-regarded scorer and shooter coming into college, Nickel finished his high school career as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Virginia High School League. But Nickel struggled to establish any sort of footing in Carolina’s rotation this season, never playing more than 12 minutes in a single game after the new year.
Tyler Nickel played 39 of a possible 480 minutes over the final 12 games or since February 1
~8 percent
— chris (@dadgumboxscores) March 13, 2023
Nickel only scored 15 total points for the Tar Heels after the calendar turned to 2023 and didn’t score at all after the Clemson game on February 11. For the season, Nickel made just six of 27 three-point attempts (22.2 percent). He will have three years of eligibility at his new school.
F Justin McKoy (Cary, N.C.)
McKoy will be transferring for the second time in his college career, as he arrived in Chapel Hill at the beginning of the 2021-22 season after transferring from Virginia. The local product from Cary’s Panther Creek High School wasn’t quite ever able to break through with the Tar Heels, never scoring more than six points in a game over two seasons among Carolina’s crowded group of wings. McKoy appeared in only 11 games this past season, but was able to celebrate his Senior Night at the Smith Center. He will have one year of eligibility at his new school.
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Do you blame them for leaving? Hubert Davis is an awful coach.
Brought His team to the finals his first year coaching dont know how that makes him not good lmao