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Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #15 North Carolina Tar Heels – Last Word On Sports
UNC could not have been more disappointing last season. They were the preseason #1 team and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Ouch. They received an invitation to the NIT but declined it. But now the Tar Heels are back with a completely revamped roster. They are still led by one of the best players in the country, Armando Bacot. And if you have a guy like that, you always have a chance to win.
Previous teams can be seen here.
Super senior Armando Bacot is back for one last go around in Chapel Hill. He had a disappointing season last year despite averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. That shows you just how good he is. Bacot did become the storied program’s all-time rebounds leader last season. He will once again be in the conversation for the Player of the Year and All-American honors. Returning with him is RJ Davis. Davis had the best season of his collegiate career last year, averaging career-highs across the board and posting a new career-high shooting position. Bacot and Davis are arguably the best inside-outside duo in the ACC and could be one of the best in the country.
While UNC did lose a lot via the transfer portal, perhaps it was a necessary change. Plus, they brought in five new guys via the portal. First up is a pair of players who should start. Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram is a versatile wing. The former PAC-12 Freshman of the Year was a top 20 recruit coming out of high school. Super-senior and Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan is a veteran shooter who averaged a career-high 12.3 points per game last season.
Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik had a breakout season last year. He averaged 14.9 points per game for the Bears and, despite being a 6’4″ shooting guard, averaged 7.2 rebounds per game. Jae’lyn Withers was a starter for most of the last three seasons at Louisville and should be a good role player for the Tar Heels.
The biggest story among this team’s newcomers is freshman Elliot Cadeau. The five-star recruit was one of the top players in the Class of 2024 before reclassifying to this year. He is an elite playmaker at all levels. He announced his reclassification earlier this year after dominating Nike’s EYBL circuit.
That is not Cadeau’s only experience against elite talent. He also played against professionals as a member of Sweden’s national team, making his debut for the senior team early this year in a World Cup qualifier against Germany. While playing for Swden’s U-18 and U-16 teams, Cadeau has won multiple gold medals and was a vital part of those teams. Some of his notable performances include scoring 36 points in the championship game of the FIBA U-18 European Division B in Romania in 2022, as well as scoring 40 in a game and being named the MVP of the U-18 Nordic Championship in 2022. He is more than ready for what’s ahead.
PF/C – Armando Bacot (15.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
SF – Harrison Ingram (10.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8SPG, 0.5 BPG at Stanford)
SG – Cormac Ryan (12.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG at Notre Dame)
G – RJ Davis (16.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
PG – Elliot Cadeau (#12 overall recruit on 247 Sports)
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