The incoming freshman class for UNC men’s basketball’s 2020-21 season is one of the largest and most talented for the program in years. On Tuesday, the program revealed how fans will begin to identify them: jersey numbers.
Carolina’s men’s basketball social media accounts shared the players’ chosen numbers on Tuesday night.
Combo-guard Caleb Love chose #2, which he wore his senior year at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He becomes the latest guard to choose the number, taking over the mantle after Cole Anthony wore it during the 2019-2020 season. Previously, point guards like Raymond Felton and Joel Berry II have also worn #2.
Guard R.J. Davis from White Plains, New York, is coming off being named the state’s top high school player his senior year. Davis will be taking #4, which was worn the last few years by Brandon Robinson. Prior to that, forward Isiah Hicks sported the number.
Forward Day’Ron Sharpe of Greenville, North Carolina, selected #11, which became possible with the graduation of reserve forward Shea Rush from the team. Honored Tar Heels like Larry Brown and Brice Johnson have worn it in the past.
Walker Kessler will be wearing #13 his first year. The Woodward Academy forward from Fairburn, Georgia, takes the number now available with Jeremiah Francis transferring from the program. Francis took it after Cameron Johnson wore it the previous two years and the only Tar Heel honored in the Dean E. Smith rafters who wore the number was John “Hook” Dillon from the 1940s.
Forward Puff Johnson chose to one-up his brother, Cameron, and selected #14 for his first year. The wing from Moon Township, Pennsylvania, chose a number unworn by any of last year’s team. It was last worn by Robinson in his freshman season, 2016-2017. Before then, reserve Desmond Hubert wore the number in 2014-2015. No Tar Heels honored in the rafters have worn #14.
Lastly, guard Kerwin Walton from Hopkins, Minnesota, selected #24. Tar Heel fans will remember Kenny Williams most recently wearing the number through his four years at UNC. In the past, Marvin Williams and Carolina great Walter Davis donned the number.
Photo via Todd Melet.
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
‹
Report: Buffalo Transfer Angelo Brizzi Commits to UNC Men's BasketballAngelo Brizzi, who spent the 2025-26 season with Buffalo, reportedly committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal Wednesday. Inside Carolina first reported the news. UNC will be Brizzi’s fifth school in five years. The guard began his career at Villanova in 2022 – entering college in the same class […]
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 SeasonAs 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 […]
Former UNC Player Ed Davis Among Several Indicted in NBA Gambling ScandalEd Davis, who played for the UNC men’s basketball team from 2008 through 2010 and helped the Tar Heels win the 2009 national title, is among six former NBA players who are being charged with conspiracy, bribery and money laundering as the result of a federal investigation. An indictment published Monday by the U.S. Attorney’s […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network TakeoverThe ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
Chansky's Notebook: What Happened to Henri?Blame Henri Veesaar's baffling slide in the NBA Draft on the muddled way the league and its agents do business.
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Illinois in Nashville Hoops Showdown in JanuaryUNC is adding another high-level non-conference matchup to its 2026-27 schedule. The Tar Heels will face Illinois in the Nashville Hoops Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 30. The matchup has been confirmed by both programs and by Bridgestone Arena, which will host the game. Tar Heels 🆚 Fighting Illini in Nashville pic.twitter.com/UuhExCctMB — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
UNC's Henri Veesaar Drafted by Los Angeles Clippers, Traded to Atlanta HawksHenri Veesaar is league-bound. The seven-foot center, who spent the 2025-26 season with UNC after committing to the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal, was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 52 overall pick in the NBA Draft, who then traded that pick to the Atlanta Hawks. Veesaar spent the first […]
UNC's Caleb Wilson Selected by Chicago Bulls with No. 4 Overall Pick in 2026 NBA DraftCaleb Wilson is headed to the Windy City. The Chicago Bulls selected the star UNC freshman forward with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Wilson is the highest-picked Tar Heel in the NBA Draft since Marvin Williams went No. 2 overall to the Atlanta Hawks in 2005. Carolina […]
UNC Men's Basketball to Host Arkansas, Women to Host LSU in 2026 ACC-SEC ChallengeThe matchups have been set for both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs in the upcoming ACC-SEC Challenge: the men will host Arkansas on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Smith Center, while the women will host LSU on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at Carmichael Arena. ACC/SEC challenge is set 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/AWzBSN1Cbv — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
Greek Prospect Alexandros Samodurov Commits to UNC Men's BasketballAnother international prospect is making his way to Chapel Hill. Alexandros Samodurov, who has played professionally in Greece since 2022, announced his commitment to head coach Michael Malone and UNC Saturday. Samodurov, a 6-foot-11 forward, has played his entire professional career with the Greek club Panathinaikos. The club has seen sustained success during his time […]
›
