rodd baxley, fayetteville observer
·4 min read
Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram aren’t walking through the Smith Center doors with UNC basketball jerseys this season.
Bacot and Ingram accounted for 707 of the Tar Heels’ 1,520 rebounds in a season that saw UNC win the ACC regular-season championship before snagging a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Fifth-year senior RJ Davis, who finished third on last season’s team with 134 rebounds, touched on that topic in an exclusive interview with The Fayetteville Observer in late July.
With Bacot, Ingram and Cormac Ryan (102 rebounds) gone, Davis and Jae’Lyn Withers (133) are the only returning Tar Heels who eclipsed 100 rebounds last season.
“Rebounding has always been such a high emphasis for Carolina. I think one thing that Coach Davis always says in the locker room, even before games, ‘It’s not a Armando Bacot rebounding game, it’s a UNC rebounding game,’ ” Davis said.
“We have the potential, we have the talent to be really good. I think we’re all just going to have to dial in as far as rebounding the basketball. We have a really good backcourt and frontcourt. Armando being the all-time leading rebounder, he’s gone now, so it’s a good chance for us as a team to step up the rebounding with everyone getting a chance to get their rebounds.”
Here’s a look at the eight players in UNC’s frontcourt for the 2024-25 season, and what the Tar Heels can expect from each of those forwards.
Jalen Washington
Entering his junior season, arguably no player on UNC’s roster will enter the year with more pressure than Washington. A 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward, Washington figures to be the Tar Heels’ best bet to pick up Bacot’s minutes. After averaging 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game, Washington will be asked to do a lot more this season. He’s still vying for his first double-double performance.
Jae’Lyn Withers
Arguably UNC’s best athlete and most versatile defender, Withers averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game last season. One of the Tar Heels’ top options off the bench, Withers had a plus-minus stat of +168, which was the highest among the reserves. Across his last seven games, the 6-foot-9 graduate student averaged 6.1 rebounds. Withers had a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds against Wagner in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Like Washington, Withers is UNC’s best bet to be among the team’s leading rebounders.
RJ DAVIS EXCLUSIVE:
Cade Tyson
UNC’s top-ranked addition from the transfer portal, Tyson was mainly brought in for his ability to knock down shots. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 15 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in two seasons at Belmont, knocking down 44.1% of his 3-pointers. After not pulling down at least nine rebounds in any games as a freshman, Tyson had five games with nine or more rebounds as a sophom*ore.
Ven-Allen Lubin
After swinging and missing on several prospects in the post, UNC landed a proven forward in Lubin. The Vanderbilt transfer is a bit undersized as a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward, but he averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Commodores. Lubin, who has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, had five double-double performances across 26 games last season. He missed six games because of a groin injury as a sophom*ore, but averaged 23 points and 10.5 rebounds in the final two games of Vandy’s season.
Drake Powell
A 6-foot-6 wing, Powell has a chance to make an instant impact as a defender and rebounder because of his length and athleticism. The five-star recruit has impressed scouts throughout the summer, so there’s no reason to believe that trend won’t continue in Chapel Hill. With the motor to match his infectious energy, Powell could be among UNC’s best rebounders as a freshman.
Tyzhaun Claude
A late addition from the transfer portal, Claude improves UNC’s depth on the interior as a veteran presence capable of eating minutes and gathering boards. A 6-foot-7, 226-pound forward, Claude averaged 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds across 32 games last season at Georgia Tech. In ACC play, Claude led the league in offensive rebounding percentage (16%). He might not get a bulk of the minutes, but Claude can provide UNC with a boost on the boards.
Zayden High
Even as a freshman, High carried himself with a confidence that is rare for young players. The 6-foot-9 sophom*ore played sparingly across 23 games, but there will be an opportunity for minutes in the frontcourt because of so many new faces. If High can get better defensively and take advantage of some early opportunities, he could be a surprise contributor in the post.
James Brown
One of three freshmen joining the Tar Heels, Brown is a 6-foot-9 forward from Chicago. Given the departures of Bacot and Ingram, Brown could get thrown into the fire early to see what he can handle on the interior. But with older players in front of him, this will likely be a season of learning for the young big man.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Expectations for UNC basketball’s Jalen Washington, Tar Heels’ post
