Roy Williams and UNC basketball may have been late to the one-and-done trend, but it looks like they’re early to the grad transfer revolution.
Roy’s decision to take two graduate transfers for next season makes sense on paper. After all, the Tar Heels are losing five key players and only Garrison Brooks remains as a starter. With Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce in the fold, it gives UNC two players who have valuable starting experience.
If you know UNC, you know that the Tar Heels are not a program that normally takes graduate transfers. It was a big deal when Cam Johnson came to UNC from Pitt and he’s leaving as a likely first-round NBA Draft pick after his time in Chapel Hill.
Roy’s decision to take a pair of graduate transfers highlights UNC’s ability and willingness to reload instead of rebuild.
After UNC’s loss to Auburn in the NCAA Tournament, many projected UNC to take a step back next season after losing three seniors and two freshman to the NBA Draft.
But then five-star guard Cole Anthony committed to UNC, giving the Tar Heels one of the most electric scorers in the history of college basketball recruiting. Pair him with experienced players like Brooks, Keeling and Pierce and UNC might be a contender for the national title next season.
Of course, one-and-dones and graduate transfers come at a cost: they’re only around for one season. After next season, Anthony, Keeling and Pierce are all likely gone.
This is a major shift in the normal UNC mentality, but it seems to be the way the college basketball landscape is heading.
One-and-dones have been around forever, but the rise of the transfer portal has eased transfers within college athletics. Now, college athletes have the ability to essentially open their recruiting again should they not feel comfortable with their current situation. Time will tell if the transfer portal continues to be relevant, but for now it’s the biggest thing since sliced bread.
UNC’s willingness to get a pair of grad transfers will also help their younger players develop. Instead of rushing Leaky Black or Armando Bacot into action before they are ready, now they’ll have time to develop before taking over major roles in 2020.
Don’t expect Roy to dive into the transfer portal every offseason, but it is a nice sign to see the Tar Heels arrive early to the party for once.
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