With the transfer portal only being open for two days, the Tar Heels have already lost their first of many possible entries, as former five-star point guard, Elliot Cadeau has entered the portal, after two seasons in Chapel Hill. When the season ended last year, there were rumors that Cadeau might transfer out of the program after being benched in the second half of the season-ending loss to Alabama. Instead, Cadeau opted to return to UNC, using the benching as fuel to become a better basketball player. When Hubert Davis met with the media back in October, he praised Cadeau, saying that he had improved so much, that you wouldn’t recognize the player he was from his freshman season. That player never made it onto the court for UNC, as Cadeau averaged just under 10 points per game, with over 6 assists, but 3 turnovers per game.
Cadeau is entering the portal with a no-contact tag attached beside his name, which isn’t surprising given that Isaac McKneely, the UVA transfer whom Carolina is in contact with, has the same thing attached to his name.
Cadeau arrived in Chapel Hill a year earlier than expected, after he reclassified to join the program for the 2023-24 season, starting on a team that won an ACC regular season title, and was a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. His reclassification sped up his timeline for his development, and sent expectations through the roof, which he failed to ever live up to consistently during his two years in Chapel Hill.
There is always the option for Cadeau to return to UNC, just like Seth Trimble did last season, when he entered the portal, before ultimately returning to Carolina, but that would be the least likely option at this point in time. Carolina needs to get bigger on the perimeter, after multiple seasons with a small backcourt, and had they overrecruited Cadeau, then he would’ve entered the portal anyways.
The Tar Heels do have two combo guards entering the program this off-season in freshmen Derek Dixon, and Isaiah Denis, both of whom are at least 6-3 or bigger, but expect Carolina to be active on the transfer market, looking to add a legitimate starting point guard, with more size and strength than what they’ve had in recent seasons, as Hubert Davis and Jim Tanner are tasked with overhauling the roster, to ensure the program is still playing this time next season.
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