The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the 2025 transfer portal with a clear need at point guard. Losing Elliot Cadeau to Michigan was a gut punch, leaving a void in playmaking and leadership. While UNC secured Kyan Evans from Colorado State, questions linger about whether they settled for a lesser option when elite point guards were available.
As the 2025-2026 season crawls, these portal misses can cost the Tar Heels profusely.
UNC Tar Heels May Have Missed At Point Guard
Elliot Cadeau, a former five-star recruit, started 68 of 74 games over two seasons, averaging 9.4 points and 6.2 assists in 2024-25. His 231 assists ranked among the nation’s best, though 113 turnovers led the ACC. His exit to Michigan left UNC without a true floor general.
Seth Trimble, a returning combo guard, offers some versatility but lacks the pure point guard skills and instincts of Cadeau or former star RJ Davis. The 2025 transfer portal was flush with point guard talent, including New Mexico’s Donovan Dent, the Mountain West Player of the Year.
Dent, who averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists, scored 21 points to lead the Lobos to an NCAA Tournament upset over Marquette. UNC reached out to Dent early, but he ultimately chose UCLA.
Other available guards included PJ Haggerty, Robert Wright, and Silas Demary Jr., all of whom analyst Rob Dauster argued were stronger options than UNC’s eventual pickup. “You’re North Carolina. You have as big a budget as anybody,” Dauster said on The Field of 68: After Dark podcast, questioning why UNC didn’t land a premier playmaker.
Evans’ Potential and Limitations
Evans, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Colorado State, committed to UNC on April 9, 2025. Evans averaged 10.6 points and 3.1 assists, shooting 44.6% from three. His standout NCAA Tournament performance, 23 points and six threes without a turnover against Memphis, earned him Mountain West Tournament MVP honors.
While Evans’ shooting and efficiency are assets, Dauster cautioned that he was a “complementary piece” at Colorado State, not a primary creator. “Now you’re asking him to be the guy,” Dauster said, expressing skepticism about Evans’ ability to anchor UNC’s offense.
UNC strengthened its frontcourt with transfers like 7-foot center Henri Veesaar and five-star freshman Caleb Wilson, addressing a critical need for size. “We’ve got to get bigger,” coach Hubert Davis emphasized after a season where physicality exposed UNC’s shortcomings.
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Veesaar’s rim protection and 32.7% three-point shooting complement UNC’s up-tempo style, but he relies on a point guard to set him up. Evans’ 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is promising, but his 3.1 assists per game pale compared to Dent’s 6.4 or Cadeau’s 6.2, raising concerns about his ability to elevate teammates like Trimble, Veesaar, and Wilson.
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