# 2024–25 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

The 2024–25 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by coach Hubert Davis in his fourth season as UNC's head coach, and is assisted by Jeff Lebo, Sean May, and Brad Frederick. The Tar Heels play their home games at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

## Previous season

The Tar Heels finished the season 29–8 and 17–3 in ACC play to finish as regular season champions. As the first seed in the ACC tournament, they earned a bye to the Quarterfinals, where they defeated ninth seed Florida State. They defeated Pittsburgh in the Semifinals, but could not overcome NC State for a third time in the season in the Final. They lost 76–84 to finish as runner-up. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and were placed as a first seed in the West region. They defeated sixteenth-seed Wagner in the First Round, and ninth-seed Michigan State in the Second Round before falling to fourth-seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen to end their season.

## Offseason
### Departures

North Carolina Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Cormac Ryan | 3 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Graduate Student | New York, New York | Graduated |
| Armando Bacot | 5 | F/C | 6'11" | 240 | Graduate Student | Richmond, Virginia | Graduated |
| Paxson Wojcik | 8 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Graduate Student | Charleston, South Carolina | Graduated |
| Creighton Lebo | 14 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Senior | Greenville, North Carolina | Graduated |
| Rob Landry | 22 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Senior | Greensboro, North Carolina | Graduated |
| James Okonkwo | 32 | F | 6'8" | 240 | Junior | Maidenhead, England | Transferred to Akron |
| Duwe Farris | 34 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, North Carolina | Graduated |
| Harrison Ingram | 55 | F | 6'7" | 225 | Junior | Dallas, Texas | Drafted 48th overall in the 2024 NBA draft |

### Additions
#### Incoming Transfers

Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Cade Tyson | 5 | G/F | 6'7" | 205 | Junior | Monroe, North Carolina | Belmont |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | 22 | F | 6'8" | 225 | Junior | Orlando, Florida | Vanderbilt |
| Tyzhaun Claude | 0 | F | 6’7" | 226 | Graduate | Goldsboro, North Carolina | Georgia Tech |

#### Recruiting Class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| James Brown F | Chicago, Illinois | Link Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jan 2, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 ||||||
| Ian Jackson F | Bronx, New York | Our Saviour Lutheran School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 16, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 ||||||
| Drake Powell G | Pittsboro, North Carolina | Northwood | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 8, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 7 247Sports: 5 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "North Carolina 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024. "2024 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024. "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 15, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 9 | at Memphis Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic | W 84–76 | | 33 – Trimble | 9 – Tyson | 13 – Cadeau | FedExForum Memphis, TN |
| October 27, 2024* 2:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | No. 9 | Johnson C. Smith | W 127–63 | | 21 – Jackson | 12 – Lubin | 8 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (16,123) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 4, 2024* 9:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 9 | Elon | W 90–76 | 1–0 | 24 – Davis | 10 – Withers | 8 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (17,242) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 8, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 9 | at No. 1 Kansas | L 89–92 | 1–1 | 19 – Trimble | 9 – Tied | 7 – Cadeau | Allen Fieldhouse (15,300) Lawrence, KS |
| November 15, 2024* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 10 | American | W 107–55 | 2–1 | 18 – Tied | 11 – Powell | 8 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (19,555) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 22, 2024* 12:30 a.m., ESPN2 | No. 10 | at Hawaii | W 87–69 | 3–1 | 18 – Davis | 5 – Washington | 4 – Tied | Stan Sheriff Center (8,948) Honolulu, HI |
| November 25, 2024* 11:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 12 | vs. Dayton Maui Invitational quarterfinals | W 92–90 | 4–1 | 30 – Davis | 10 – Trimble | 5 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| November 26, 2024* 11:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 12 | vs. No. 4 Auburn Maui Invitational semifinals | L 72–85 | 4–2 | 17 – Trimble | 9 – Lubin | 3 – Cadeau | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| November 27, 2024* 9:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 12 | vs. Michigan State Maui Invitational 3rd place game | L 91–94 $^{OT}$ | 4–3 | 18 – Powell | 7 – Washington | 7 – Davis | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| December 4, 2024* 7:15 p.m., ESPN | No. 20 | No. 10 Alabama ACC–SEC Challenge | L 79–94 | 4–4 | 23 – Jackson | 6 – Cadeau | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 7, 2024 2:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 20 | Georgia Tech | W 68–65 | 5–4 (1–0) | 19 – Trimble | 8 – Lubin | 4 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (19,020) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 14, 2024* 4:00 p.m., The CW | | La Salle | W 93–67 | 6–4 | 23 – Tyson | 8 – Trimble | 7 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (18,420) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 17, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | vs. No. 7 Florida Jumpman Invitational | L 84–90 | 6–5 | 29 – Davis | 8 – Davis | 7 – Cadeau | Spectrum Center (16,058) Charlotte, NC |
| December 21, 2024* 3:00 p.m., CBS | | vs. No. 18 UCLA CBS Sports Classic | W 76–74 | 7–5 | 24 – Jackson | 5 – Powell | 5 – Cadeau | Madison Square Garden (19,812) New York, NY |
| December 29, 2024* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Campbell | W 97–81 | 8–5 | 26 – Jackson | 7 – Withers | 12 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (19,959) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 1, 2025 6:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Louisville | L 70–83 | 8–6 (1–1) | 23 – Jackson | 9 – Lubin | 5 – Cadeau | KFC Yum! Center (14,248) Louisville, KY |
| January 4, 2025 12:00 p.m., CBS | | at Notre Dame | W 74–73 | 9–6 (2–1) | 27 – Jackson | 6 – Tied | 7 – Davis | Purcell Pavilion (9,149) South Bend, IN |
| January 7, 2025 9:00 p.m., ACCN | | SMU | W 82–67 | 10–6 (3–1) | 26 – Davis | 7 – Jackson | 4 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (19,594) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 11, 2025 4:00 p.m., ACCN | | at NC State Rivalry | W 63–61 | 11–6 (4–1) | 21 – Jackson | 12 – Washington | 11 – Cadeau | Lenovo Center (19,500) Raleigh, NC |
| January 15, 2025 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | California | W 79–53 | 12–6 (5–1) | 20 – Jackson | 8 – Lubin | 3 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (20,031) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 18, 2025 2:15 p.m., The CW | | Stanford | L 71–72 | 12–7 (5–2) | 19 – Davis | 6 – Cadeau | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 21, 2025 9:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Wake Forest Rivalry | L 66–67 | 12–8 (6–3) | 21 – Davis | 7 – Lubin | 13 – Cadeau | LJVM Coliseum (12,799) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 25, 2025 2:15 p.m., The CW | | Boston College | W 102–96 $^{OT}$ | 13–8 (6–3) | 22 – Davis | 12 – Trimble | 5 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 28, 2025 9:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Pittsburgh | L 65–73 | 13–9 (6–4) | 16 – Davis | 12 – Trimble | 7 – Cadeau | Petersen Events Center (11,277) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 1, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 2 Duke Rivalry/College GameDay | L 70–87 | 13–10 (6–5) | 12 – Tied | 6 – Lubin | 3 – Cadeau | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 8, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Pittsburgh | W 67–66 | 14–10 (7–5) | 18 – Davis | 7 – Trimble | 7 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 10, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 23 Clemson | L 65–85 | 14–11 (7–6) | 18 – Davis | 6 – Lubin | 6 – Cadeau | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,704) Clemson, SC |
| February 15, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Syracuse | W 88–82 | 15–11 (8–6) | 23 – Jackson | 8 – Trimble | 6 – Davis | JMA Wireless Dome (22,340) Syracuse, NY |
| February 19, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | NC State Rivalry | W 97–73 | 16–11 (9–6) | 21 – Davis | 7 – Trimble | 6 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 22, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN | | Virginia | W 81–66 | 17–11 (10–6) | 16 – Tied | 11 – Withers | 6 – Cadeau | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 24, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Florida State | W 96–85 | 18–11 (11–6) | 20 – Davis | 7 – Lubin | 7 – Cadeau | Donald L. Tucker Center (7,922) Tallahassee, FL |
| March 1, 2025 12:00 p.m., ESPN | | Miami | W 92–73 | 19–11 (12–6) | 19 – Lubin | 10 – Withers | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| March 4, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Virginia Tech | W 91–59 | 20–11 (13–6) | 19 – Jackson | 11 – Lubin | 12 – Cadeau | Cassell Coliseum (8,925) Blacksburg, VA |
| March 8, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN | | No. 2 Duke Rivalry/College GameDay | L 69–82 | 20–12 (13–7) | 20 – Davis | 6 – Lubin | 3 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 12, 2025 2:30 p.m., ESPN | (5) | vs. (12) Notre Dame Second round | W 76–56 | 21–12 | 21 – Withers | 10 – Lubin | 10 – Cadeau | Spectrum Center (9,722) Charlotte, NC |
| March 13, 2025 2:30 p.m., ESPN | (5) | vs. (4) Wake Forest Quarterfinals/Rivalry | W 68–59 | 22–12 | 23 – Davis | 13 – Lubin | 3 – Withers | Spectrum Center (14,116) Charlotte, NC |
| March 14, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | (5) | vs. (1) No. 1 Duke Semifinals/Rivalry | L 71–74 | 22–13 | 20 – Lubin | 10 – Lubin | 5 – Cadeau | Spectrum Center (18,116) Charlotte, NC |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| March 19, 2025 9:10 p.m., TruTV | (11 S) | vs. (11 S) San Diego State First Four | W 95–68 | 23–13 | 26 – Davis | 10 – Withers | 12 – Cadeau | UD Arena Dayton, OH |
| March 21, 2025 4:05 pm, TNT | (11 S) | vs. (6 S) Ole Miss First round | | | | | | Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, WI |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Coaches | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | |