Heel Tough Blog: UNC Reportedly Moving On From BYU Transfer

On Friday, BYU transfer Kanon Cathcings arrived in the Triangle are, to begin his official visit to UNC, in what was believed to be the final step to landing his commitment, after entering the transfer portal, after one season in Provo. On3 Sports even publicly went as far as to predict that Catchings would wind up in Chapel Hill, and add to what was becoming a pretty stellar transfer portal haul for Hubert Davis, and his staff. Per Tar Heel Illustrated, Catchings is no longer believed to be on his way to UNC, and in fact, per their reporting, UNC is moving on from him, a day after his official visit came to a close. 

Catchings’s decision to visit UNC, came right after the Final Four dead period came to an end, which is why there was so much momentum about a potential commitment. Furthermore, on Friday, Cade Tyson entered the transfer portal, after one season at UNC, again, furthering the belief that Catchings would be a Tar Heel by the end of the weekend. 

This decision may also have something to do with the possible return of Drake Powell, who is still weighing his decision to either return for his sophomore season or enter the NBA Draft, where he’s projected to be a late first-round selection. Also, as we all learned over the weekend with Tennesee and its QB, money is the end all, be all when it comes to the decisions these payers now make, and BYU has been aggressive financially, so who knows if they or another school made an offer that topped what Carolina had put on the table. 

While this does come as a surprise, the Tar Heels had their backup option already in place, and they’ll now turn their attention to Alabama transfer, and Chapel Hill native, Jarin Stevenson. Stevenson has spent the last two seasons at Alabama, and was part of two teams that beat UNC, one in the NCAA Tournament, and most recently this past season in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Hubert Davis had to hear a lot of complaints from the UNC fan base, letting a talent let Stevenson get away from his own backyard, but now Carolina has the chance to add a more developed player to its roster. In 37 games, he averaged 5.4 points, and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 43% from the field, and 31% from behind the arc, on a team that made the Elite Eight. In his career, he’s averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and has shot 42% from the field, and 31% from deep. 

A potential commitment from Catchings would’ve added him to a transfer portal class that features Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans, West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell, and Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar. With Michigan State guard Tre Holloman off to NC State, Jarin Stevenson might be the last serious target for the Carolina staff for the 2025 off-season. 

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