For the first time since the 2018-19 season, North Carolina will tip off a new campaign without Armando Bacot in the starting lineup. Bacot anchored the Tar Heels’ rotation for five seasons as the program transitioned between eras, starting 168 games and setting school records for career rebounds and double-doubles while scoring 2,347 points.
Naturally, the biggest question for UNC entering the 2024-25 season is how it will replace a program legend who dominated the paint for a half-decade. There is no star transfer center entering, nor is there a McDonald’s All-American coming to the frontcourt as coach Hubert Davis enters his fourth season.
But the Tar Heels may not need an all-conference performer at center, because they have a stockpile of star power on the perimeter. With first-team All-American RJ Davis using his fifth and final season, Elliot Cadeau returning to build off a good freshman campaign and two five-star freshmen in the fold, UNC is loaded on the outside.
Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class is stealing much of college basketball’s offseason buzz. But just down Tobacco Road, UNC has a top-five class of its own to pair with a nice core of returners. As the 2024-25 season approaches, we are breaking down the rosters of the sport’s top programs. For this installment, we’re taking a look at North Carolina and attempting to decipher what the Tar Heels’ lineup could look like as they try and repeat as ACC champions.
Projected starting lineup
1. Elliot Cadeau
6-1 | 180 | So.
Cadeau started 31 of 37 games for UNC as a freshman, averaging 7.3 points and 4.1 assists. His poor 3-point shooting (18.9%) was a problem, but he actually rated as UNC’s most-efficient defender according to evanmiya.com. If he can follow the career arc of fellow undersized point guard Dajuan Harris of Kansas and begin to make opponents respect his outside shot, it will open things up for the Tar Heels and pave the way for a sophomore leap.
2. RJ Davis
6-0 | 180 | Gr.
Playing two small guards together worked fine for UNC last season, largely because Davis was an offensive workhorse. He won ACC Player of the Year while leading the league in scoring at 21.2 points behind a career-best 39.8% 3-point shooting. Davis upped that mark to 42.8% against ACC competition and also contributed 3.5 assists while shining as an elite combo guard. Davis has likely maxed out what he can be in college basketball. But even if his production dips a bit in his fifth and final season, he could still be a first-team All-American again.
3. Ian Jackson
6-5 | 185 | Fr.
Jackson finished the 2024 recruiting cycle as the nation’s No. 8 overall prospect, per 247Sports. Davis lauded the McDonald’s All-American for epitomizing what it means to be a New York guard. “He’s tough, competitive and he plays with a chip on his shoulder,” Davis said. He went No. 15 in Kyle Boone’s most-recent 2025 NBA mock draft.
4. Ven-Allen Lubin
6-8 | 230 | Jr.
UNC has a track record of snagging plug-and-play starters at power forward from the transfer portal. Last year, it was Harrison Ingram from Stanford. Prior to Ingram, Pete Nance (Northwestern) and Brady Manek (Oklahoma) fit the bill. Now comes Lubin, who averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26 starts for Vanderbilt last season. He’s got two seasons of eligibility remaining after starting his career at Notre Dame in 2022-23.
5. Jalen Washington
6-10 | 230 | Jr.
Washington’s transition to college basketball was slowed by long-term knee issues in the 2022-23 season. But it was encouraging that he appeared in all 37 games for the Tar Heels as a sophomore, even though he logged just 8.3 minutes per contest. Now, the former four-star prospect is in for a massive uptick in role amid Bacot’s departure. UNC may not need gobs of offensive production from him. But they will need him to protect the rim, grab rebounds and convert bunnies.
Bench
Seth Trimble
6-3 | 195 | Jr.
Trimble hit the transfer portal after playing 17.1 minutes off the bench during his sophomore season before opting to return. Who could blame him for considering the path of least resistance? A player with Trimble’s two-way chops and off-the-charts athleticism would’ve had no trouble finding a starting job at another strong program. But the brother of former UNC forward J.P. Tokoto told the Carolina Insider podcast that “at the end of the day, my heart is here.” He’s an elite athlete who made an encouraging 13 of 31 (41.9%) of his 3-pointers last season. If he continues on that shooting trajectory and builds upon the flashes of elite defensive ability he’s shown, Trimble could become an indispensable role player and challenge for a starting role.
Drake Powell
6-6 | 195 | Fr.
Powell finished the 2024 recruiting cycle as the No. 11 prospect in the 247Sports prospect rankings. Davis praised his “elite length and athleticism at the wing” when he signed. Powell’s best shot at making an immediate impact could be on the defensive end as he brings a combination of size and athleticism that an otherwise small backcourt appears to lack.
Cade Tyson
6-7 | 205 | Jr.
Tyson was one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters at Belmont the past two seasons, drilling 44.6% of his 3-pointers as a stretch forward in the Missouri Valley Conference. He’ll have to prove his defensive mettle, but he’s got plenty of offensive skill and can play either forward position. His outside shot will be needed amid the departures of Ingram and Cormac Ryan.
Jae’Lyn Withers
6-9 | 215 | Gr.
Withers played consistently off the bench as a reserve power forward in 2023-24 after transferring from Louisville, and he will be in the mix for frontcourt minutes again. The departures of Ingram and Bacot create opportunities, but there is plenty of capable competition in the race for a role.
Depth
James Brown | 6-9 | 210 | Fr.
The Tar Heels’ depth took a hit this week when UNC announced sophomore forward Zayden High, who averaged 0.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 4.5 minutes in 23 games last season, is no longer on the team. Brown was the No. 115 player in the 2024 class. Brown is a developmental big who will need to beat out more experienced players in order to carve out a role this season.
