Expert Predicts UNC Basketball to Win One Transfer Battle

The UNC basketball recruiters wasted no time getting in contact with BYU transfer Kanon Catchings when he entered the transfer portal at the end of March. But their pursuit had been somewhat quiet ever since.

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On Tuesday, though, a report from Inside Carolina indicated that the former four-star recruit will be in Chapel Hill to visit with the Tar Heel staff on Friday. Plus, On3's Pete Nakos entered an official forecast pointing to the UNC basketball program as the outright frontrunner.

The 6-foot-9, 185-pound Catchings, who ranked No. 41 on the 247Sports 2024 Composite coming out of high school, could be a valuable pickup for head coach Hubert Davis.

He experienced a notably up-and-down season with the Cougars, starting nearly half of the games he appeared in but failing to play any meaningful minutes in either the Big 12 or NCAA Tournaments.

Catchings averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists as a freshman. Now, his high ceiling makes him one of the most intriguing pieces in the transfer portal.

His aunt, WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, was represented by new UNC basketball general manager Jim Tanner during her playing days, which could give the Tar Heels a boost.

For now, UNC is the only reported official on-campus visit that Catchings has set. If his visit results in a commitment, he would join Jonathan Powell and Henri Veesaar in Davis' offseason transfer class.

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.