After barely squeezing into the NCAA Tournament thanks to a Selection Sunday surprise, Hubert Davis enters the 2025–26 season under mounting pressure to deliver results. Now in his fifth year at the helm in Chapel Hill, Davis has faced a rough start to the offseason, losing three key players to the transfer portal: starting point guard Elliot Cadeau to Michigan, forward Jalen Washington to Vanderbilt, and former five-star recruit Ian Jackson, who left after just one season.
While Davis has added talent—securing sharpshooting guard Jonathan Powell from West Virginia and versatile big man Henri Veesaar from Arizona—those pickups haven’t fully softened the blow, especially with Jackson’s departure leaving a major gap in the Tar Heels’ future plans.
To regain momentum, Davis may need a high-impact transfer, and one potential game-changer could be Kanon Catchings. The BYU transfer and nephew of WNBA legend Tamika Catchings is drawing serious attention, and according to On3’s Pete Nakos, North Carolina is trending as the favorite to land him.
If Davis can seal the deal with Catchings—a dynamic wing with scoring upside—it could mark a turning point in the Tar Heels’ portal season and provide the spark needed to reestablish UNC as a national contender.
Kanon Catchings favored to join the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal
While Kanon Catchings won’t directly replace Ian Jackson’s shot-making ability, he brings much-needed depth and versatility to the wing for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels. Although North Carolina was able to retain senior guard Seth Trimble for 2025–26, Catchings’ 6-foot-9 frame will give the team more defensive flexibility, allowing them to switch more effectively across positions. This was a major issue for UNC last season, particularly when facing off against teams like Duke with their large, physical starting five. The Tar Heels’ top four scorers—RJ Davis, Jackson, Trimble, and Elliot Cadeau—are all 6-foot-4 or shorter, limiting the team’s defensive options.
While Catchings’ offensive game is still a work in progress, he already stands out as an athletic and disruptive defender with the length to guard multiple positions. His future role is likely to be as a 3-and-D player, and his size at 6-foot-9 makes him an even more valuable asset than someone with a smaller frame could be.
During his freshman season at BYU, Catchings averaged 7.2 points per game, shooting 41% from the field, 58% from the free-throw line, and 35% from beyond the arc. Although his free-throw shooting needs improvement, he showed promise as a corner three-point shooter, knocking down 46% from the left corner and 32% from the right.
Catchings may not fill the playmaking void left by Jackson, Cadeau, and the now-departed RJ Davis, but if he joins North Carolina, he will still be a meaningful addition, adding much-needed length, strength, and defensive ability as the Tar Heels look to build a stronger roster for the upcoming season.
