Hubert Davis faces significant challenges this offseason at North Carolina, and losing a key 6-foot-9 three-and-D wing player adds to the concerns for the Tar Heels as they prepare for the 2025-26 season.
Hubert Davis is facing a crucial offseason after nearly missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in his first four years as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Unfortunately, the transfer portal situation has been tumultuous in Chapel Hill.
In addition to losing RJ Davis, the program’s second all-time leading scorer, UNC has also seen former five-star recruit Ian Jackson enter the transfer portal following a promising freshman year, along with starting point guard Elliot Cadeau, forward Jalen Washington, and sharpshooter Cade Tyson, who struggled during his single season with the Tar Heels after transferring from Belmont last year.
Davis has significant talent to replace and a pressing need to increase the team’s size, as his top four leading scorers from last season were all 6-foot-4 or shorter. While his first four additions from the transfer portal addressed many of these needs, he missed out on a tall three-and-D wing that would have been a perfect fit for Carolina.
NEWS: BYU freshman Kanon Catchings is transferring to Georgia, a source tells @247Sports.
A former four-star recruit and one of the highest upside prospects in the portal. https://t.co/P3cJ895pjk pic.twitter.com/NipK9CHHOx
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 14, 2025
Kanon Catchings commits to Georgia over North Carolina
The Tar Heels were seen as the frontrunners to land the 6-foot-9 wing after a promising freshman year at BYU, but Mike White managed to recruit him to the SEC, as he committed to the Bulldogs on Sunday. The nephew of WNBA icon Tamika Catchings, who played college basketball at Tennessee, Catchings averaged 7.2 points and hit 35 percent of his three-point attempts during his first collegiate season.
While losing Catchings is a blow to the Tar Heels’ prospects for the 2025-26 season, Davis secured a significant consolation later that night. Jarin Stevenson, a North Carolina native who played his first two college seasons at Alabama, is a more traditional forward at 6-foot-11, but he isn’t the shooter that Catchings is expected to become. Nonetheless, he should compete for a starting position alongside five-star freshman Caleb Wilson.
With the acquisitions of Stevenson, Kyan Evans, Jonathan Powell, and Henri Veesaar through the transfer portal, along with a strong freshman class led by Wilson, Davis is expected to improve upon the No. 11 seed that his program received in this year’s NCAA Tournament. However, missing out on Catchings and losing players like Jackson and Cadeau could hinder the Tar Heels’ ability to contend with Duke for the ACC Title.
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