On February 25, the University of North Carolina hired longtime NBA agent, Jim Tanner as general manager of the men’s basketball team. UNC created the position just for him as the former Tar Heel returns to his alma mater.
“Tanner is the president and founder of Tandem Sports & Entertainment, an agency with a long list of clients in the NBA, WNBA and the broadcasting space. He is a North Carolina native who graduated from UNC in 1990 before attending law school at the University of Chicago. Tanner founded Tandem Sports & Entertainment in 2013, representing more than 70 NBA players — including 17 former UNC players.”
Tanner was hired less than a month after head coach Hubert Davis said, “The old model for Carolina just doesn’t work.” The old model went out the window as NIL became a thing in July of 2021. Davis needed help with recruiting and the business side of things, which is why he was brought in. Tanner was hired to once again bring elite talent back to Chapel Hill and compete for national championships after some rough seasons in recent memory.
Key Additions to the 2025-2026 Tarheel Squad
UNC brought in four recruits, starting with the incoming freshman. However, the biggest name on that list is five-star forward Caleb Wilson. Wilson was named the fifth-best recruit in his class, a massive get for Carolina. The other recruits are all guards: Isaiah Denis, Derek Dixon, and Luka Bogavac.
Dixon was the 45th-ranked player in his freshman class, and Denis is the only in-state player UNC was able to land. Bogavac is interesting as he is the first international recruit in the Davis and Tanner era. He also shot nearly 40% from three in the ABA League.
Looking at their transfer portal additions, Davis and Tanner were very busy, as they had brought in five transfers. The most notable and impactful is seven-foot center Henri Veesaar from the University of Arizona. Veesaar was much needed as UNC struggled mightily against bigger teams, such as their biggest rival, Duke. UNC was often outrebounded and dominated in the paint on both ends of the court.
Other transfers UNC landed are guard Jaydon Young from Virginia Tech, 6-11 forward Jarin Stevenson from Alabama, wing Jonathan Powell from West Virginia, and guard Kyan Evans previously from Colorado State.
In addition to Veesaar, Evans was another key addition. UNC desperately needs a guard, especially one who can score. Evans fits that mold, as he shot nearly 45% from three this past season and scored 23 points while having zero turnovers in their March Madness upset over the Memphis Tigers.
As good as RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau are—and they will be mentioned later—their biggest weaknesses were turning over the basketball, and having Evans control the basketball is another huge plus for the Tar Heels.
Similarly to Veesaar, Stevenson will also help UNC with its lack of size, as this team will be much bigger next season. Although they lack a big name, UNC fixed its two biggest issues: lack of size and lack of depth. Between four freshman recruits and five transfers, the nine UNC newcomers give UNC depth, size, and a mix of scoring at all three levels, defense, rebounding, and athleticism.
Key Departures
Despite bringing in nine newcomers, UNC lost eight key players from its team last season. Two of them, Davis and Jae’Lyn Withers, completed their eligibility. Drake Powell, after spending just one season in Chapel Hill, is entering the NBA Draft.
The other five entered the transfer portal and transferred to different schools. Center Jalen Washington transferred to Vanderbilt, guard Cadeau transferred to the University of Michigan, Ian Jackson transferred to St. John’s after one strong freshman year, and Cade Tyson transferred to Minnesota.
However, Ven-Allen Lubin is arguably the one transfer UNC fans are mad at, not necessarily because of how good the player was, but more so because of where he went. Lubin transferred to in-state rival NC State. Many fans voiced their opinions on X after a month or so earlier when Lubin entered the portal. He mentioned how he wanted to stay with UNC and is now joining their rival.
Ven-Allen Lubin lied to us all!
Lubin has announced that he will transfer to… NC State. #Traitor ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WsXwQ0Tepn
— Keeping It Heel (@KeepingItHeel) June 1, 2025
Lots Of Improved Depth, But Still Missing Big Names
In just a few months during the offseason, UNC completely rebuilt its roster to get back to competing for ACC and national championships. However, college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman mentioned their roster is not good enough for the 14 million they spent.
KEEP READING: Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal News (04/26/2025): Duncan Powell, Chad Baker-Mazara, and More
It is a fair assessment since $14 million is a lot of money, and the biggest name is freshman Wilson. However, Evans is a solid scoring guard, Stevenson was once highly recruited by North Carolina, and Veesaar is a solid center. Yes, UNC does not have any big names. However, this team is a lot bigger and also added depth that both were missing from last season’s team.
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