UNC sophomore forward Dawson Garcia, who hasn’t played with the Tar Heels since the end of January, announced Wednesday he would be entering the transfer portal for the second time in two years.

Garcia arrived on the UNC campus last fall after transferring away from Marquette following the 2020-21 season. He played in 16 games for Carolina this past season, starting 12 of them before suffering a concussion in the opening minutes of a game at Boston College on January 2. Garcia wouldn’t appear in another game for nearly two weeks, and never regained his starting role from graduate forward Brady Manek.

Following a January 22 loss at Wake Forest, Garcia left the team to return home to Minnesota, where he later revealed members of his family were battling serious illnesses. He wouldn’t appear in another game for the rest of the season. In his time in Chapel Hill, Garcia averaged 9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 37.5 percent on three-pointers.

Garcia said in his announcement on Twitter he had decided to stay in closer proximity to his family. Due to this being his second time transferring, Garcia would not be eligible to play immediately at his new school, per NCAA rules. However, Garcia can apply for a family hardship waiver, which allows athletes to be immediately eligible if their transfer is related to family illnesses.

 

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
‹
UNC Men's Basketball vs. St. Bonaventure (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will play its first official game outside of Chapel Hill Tuesday when it faces St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers, FL Tuesday evening. The game is the first of two Carolina will play as part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. If you aren’t headed down to Florida with the team, here’s how you can follow […]
Chansky's Notebook: Not 'Just a Guy'
Caleb Wilson is leading UNC in more ways than one. The fabulous freshman is outstripping his preseason predictions, which were pretty high.
UNC Men's Basketball vs. Navy (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC is back in action at the Smith Center Tuesday night when the Tar Heels host Navy. A win against the Midshipmen would move Carolina to 5-0 on the season, tying its best start in five seasons under head coach Hubert Davis. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow […]
Caleb Wilson Shines As UNC Men's Basketball Stuffs North Carolina Central
Freshman star Caleb Wilson recorded his second consecutive double-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and four blocks to help Carolina dispatch North Carolina Central 97-53 Friday night at the Smith Center. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/6MUdJderdT — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 15, 2025 Wilson scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the […]
4-Star Recruit Maximo Adams Commits to UNC Men's Basketball, Hubert Davis
Maximo Adams, who 247 Sports rates as a four-star recruit and the No. 24 overall player in his class, committed to UNC Friday.
Chansky's Notebook: Long Legacy
Art Chansky reviews the rich basketball history of North Carolina Central before the Eagles visit the Dean Smith Center tonight.
UNC Men's Basketball vs. NC Central (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
Carolina is back in action late Friday night when the Tar Heels host North Carolina Central at the Smith Center. UNC is looking to move to 4-0 on the young season. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the […]
Chansky's Notebook: Long and Lousy
UNC wanted to see how it would play without Seth Trimble. And it played in one of longest, lousiest games we might see this season.
UNC Men's Basketball Beats Radford in First Game Without Seth Trimble
Playing in its first game without injured star Seth Trimble, Carolina endured a poor shooting night but still did enough to beat Radford, 89-74, at the Smith Center Tuesday night. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/drnjcWKPHZ — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 12, 2025   UNC led by 13 points at halftime despite a spirited effort from […]
UNC Men's Basketball Moves Up to No. 18 in Latest AP Poll
After beginning the season with two convincing home wins, Carolina has moved up seven spots to No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, which was published Monday. The Tar Heels began the season ranked No. 25, their lowest preseason ranking in 20 years. UNC began the season with a 40-point win against Central […]
›