Freshman Jeremiah Francis Enters Transfer Portal
After just one rocky season in Chapel Hill, point guard Jeremiah Francis has chosen to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Francis, who played in just 16 of the team’s 33 games, missed the majority of the season due to injury. That amount of missed time made it extremely difficult for the young guard to develop a rhythm on the court. This was stretched to his inconsistency shooting, as well as his ability to get in the rotation.
In those 16 games, three of which he started, Francis averaged 3.3 points and 1.6 assists in 13.6 minutes per game. He shot 22.7% from the field, including just 4/20 from three. Because he was hurt before the season, his first game was not until December, when the Heels faced off against UVA. He only played three minutes in that game, however.
There was a stretch later in that month when Francis started to look more settled. Despite not scoring a field goal in his first two appearances, he proceeded to score double digits in three straight games. It was his energy and effort that offered Carolina some valuable time on the floor.
The guard from Pickerington, OH was the first commit of Roy Williams’ 2019 class when announced his decision in August of 2017. He showed a lot of potential in high school, but multiple injuries stunted his improvement. He missed two both his junior and senior years with those knee injuries, and that is also why he was unable to play the first month of the season at UNC.
Francis also becomes the second Tar Heel to transfer just this month, with Brandon Huffman announcing that he would be moving to Jacksonville State. They are certainly not the first players to transfer from the program, but it is odd to see multiple leaving in the same year.
It’s fair to say this has been the most difficult year in Roy Williams’ time in Chapel Hill, though the future still looks bright. There is a high caliber recruiting class incoming, and Garrison Brooks looks to capitalize in his senior year.
There is also a chance that UNC could bring in another recruit or a graduate transfer to fill the scholarship spot left by Francis. While the majority of the top-rated grad transfers have already picked their schools, Carolina is still in the running for 2020 shooting guard Kerwin Walton, who makes his decision this Saturday.
However, even if UNC turns it around next season, having six or more new faces on the roster each year is not something Carolina fans are used to.
