Assessing UNC basketball's options after Brandon Huffman's transfer announcement

Junior forward Brandon Huffman announced on Thursday that he was entering his name in the NCAA transfer portal, ending his three-year tenure on the North Carolina men's basketball team. 

For Huffman, his ending in Chapel Hill can lead to a new beginning elsewhere. For the Tar Heels, it marks the opportunity to help establish a new beginning for a transfer player. 

Huffman’s departure leaves the Tar Heels with only 12 scholarship players on the roster for next season, giving them room for one more. With this added flexibility, Head Coach Roy Williams has a number of options that can help the Tar Heels compete in the future.

The first option is perhaps the most conventional, and that would be for the Tar Heels to give the scholarship to another incoming high school recruit. To this point, Williams and his coaching staff have already been very effective on the recruiting trail. UNC’s class is currently ranked No. 3 in 247 Sports’ 2020 team rankings and features four McDonald’s All-Americans. 

Adding an additional recruit would take the long-term approach, as the player could remain on scholarship for several years to come. 

Previously, UNC was doting a lot of attention on five-star wing Ziaire Williams from California, but he opted to stay close to home by committing to Stanford on Sunday. With Williams off the board, most of the focus has been shifted to Kerwin Walton, a four-star shooting guard from Minnesota. 

Walton is expected to make his announcement on April 25, and UNC has been considered a favorite to acquire his talents. He ranks No. 97 in 247Sports’ player rankings and has shown improvement throughout his high school career. Per his 247 evaluation, Walton is a “high level shooter who can hit shots off the catch and pull” and “moves (his) feet well laterally and is a plus on-ball defender.”

While next year’s team is expected to have plenty of depth at the point guard and post positions, the same cannot be said about its wing rotation. If Walton enters the fold, his shooting and defense could potentially give him a big role early in his career. 

Another option to fill the spot would be for Williams to pursue a graduate transfer, which has been a common choice recently. 

Former Tar Heel Cameron Johnson joined the team in 2017 through this pathway and became a first-team All-ACC player in his second year with the program. Last season, Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce left their previous institutions for Chapel Hill and made contributions throughout the 2019-20 season. 

After Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz committed to Notre Dame over North Carolina on Saturday, the Tar Heels could be setting their sights on acquiring another transfer player in the near future.

Finally, Williams has the option of rewarding a scholarship to one of his current walk-ons. This happened last season, when six offseason departures paved the way for junior guard K.J. Smith to receive a scholarship shortly before the season began. 

As of now, the only two walk-ons on the team are forwards Walker Miller and Ryan McAdoo. Both have been with the program for multiple years, so either of them being rewarded for their efforts is certainly a possibility. 

After the 14-19 season that transpired over the past few months, the Tar Heels will certainly be looking for help in any way, shape or form they can find it. As the world waits for the return of college basketball — and sports as a whole — Williams and his staff are still working behind the scenes to help his next group return to eminence.

@nelsonhunter_

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com