The time is running out for Hubert Davis and his staff to fill the three available scholarships for the 2024–25 season, which is when North Carolina men’s basketball is building its team. The Tar Heels are mostly aware of the possibilities available to them because the transfer portal window closed on May 1st. As the selection continues to narrow, it is now a matter of landing the proper pieces.
The frontcourt appears to be North Carolina’s weakest position on the team right now. The Tar Heels failed to add a big name to the portal to take Armando Bacot’s spot in the low post, despite aggressively chasing a few targets. Cade Tyson, a Belmont transfer, has made all the noise thus far with his pledge and signing. Hubert Davis is still looking for important parts after that.
Who would North Carolina try to attract through these portals in the upcoming wave?
Hawkins Coleman, Illinois
If he stays in college, the senior big man is expected to be among the top available transfers. While retaining his last year of eligibility, Hawkins is taking a look at the NBA Draft. On a deep and strong Fighting Illini team, the 6-foot-10 PF averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.1 RPG. In addition to covering a void down low, Hawkins is a versatile player who made 59 three-pointers in the previous campaign.
This isn’t just a theoretical goal; if he went back to school, North Carolina would be included, according to Matt Norlander’s radio report.
Lubin, Ven-Allen (Vanderbilt)
Ven-Allen Lubin, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, has also expressed interest. With two years left, the forward ran the five for a modest Commodore squad in 2023–24. Last season, he put up 12.3 PPG and 6.3 RPG on average.
Lubin, an undersized center for the Tar Heels, has a ton of experience down low against strong competition and may replace Harrison Ingram at the PF position. Although he doesn’t yet have as much stretch experience, he did make 33% of his three-pointers in the previous campaign, so if he decided to come to Chapel Hill, he might improve with the Tar Heels.
Miami State’s Jamir Watkins
Now that we’re moving on to more speculative targets, North Carolina ought to pursue Jamir Watkins, the top uncommitted acquisition according to On3. The 6-foot-7 New Jersey sophomore, who led the Seminoles in scoring the previous campaign, is drawing a lot of NBA interest as he considers his options for 2024–25. In each of the three games against North Carolina, the All-ACC honorable mention scored in double digits.
Watkins is presently going through the draft process, but the Tar Heels should not hesitate to pursue this home run target if he were to drop out and return to school. He might be a huge asset to North Carolina’s frontcourt and a deadly danger off the wing at all three levels.
Samford’s Achor Achor
The 2023–24 season saw the former Samford Bulldog explode onto the spotlight, averaging 16.1 points per game and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc. On a team that won 29 games and almost defeated Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he was the team’s top scorer. Another player who can stretch the floor is the 6-foot-9 forward, but he has also shown success as a genuine big man down low.
Although there are no reports of North Carolina chasing Achor, as time passes, he might still be a possibility.
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