UNC Basketball 2023-24 player preview: Jae’Lyn Withers

The UNC basketball program made a strategic move last offseason by adding Pete Nance, a talented player from Northwestern, in hopes that he would fill the void left by Brady Manek.

Although Nance had some shining moments on the court, he failed to live up to the preseason hype. Throughout the season, he struggled immensely, only scoring in single digits 13 times and being unable to score in two additional games.

Now that Nance is no longer part of the team, the question arises: who will step up as the starting power forward for the Tar Heels? It’s highly likely that Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram will take on this role, but there’s another transfer who could also compete for valuable playing time at the position – North Carolina native Jae’Lyn Withers, who joins the team from Louisville.

Withers finds himself in a much better situation in Chapel Hill compared to his time at Louisville. The Cardinals only managed to win four games last year, while Withers was one of their top performers, averaging 8.9 points (third highest) and 5.3 rebounds (second highest) per game. With his ability to shoot from the perimeter, he will bring a much-needed boost to UNC’s offense.

It’s important to note that Carolina faced just as much disappointment, if not more, than Louisville. The Tar Heels missed out on the NCAA Tournament completely, marking the first time a preseason number one team failed to make the cut.

However, with the addition of several transfers and promising young players, Carolina is in a favorable position to have a strong comeback season. Let’s dive deeper into Withers’ profile and explore his potential impact on the team.

Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire