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Writer's pictureJoshua Marlow

Heel Tough Blog: Former Notre Dame Guard to Visit UNC




Last night it was reported that former Notre Dame guard, Cormac Ryan is set to visit UNC this week, as Carolina continues to fill out their roster for next season. After transferring from Stanford, Ryan has spent the last four seasons at Notre Dame. During his time in South Bend, Ryan started 70 games, including all 32 this past season. While the Fighting Irish didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last year, Ryan had his best individual season, averaging 12.3 points, on 41% shooting from the field, and 34% from behind the arc. Regarding perimeter shooting, Ryan is a 36% three-point shooter, with his career-best at 41% coming back in the 2021-22 campaign.


Ryan entered the transfer portal after not only missing out on the NCAA Tournament but also seeing his head coach, Mike Brey step down from the position. Carolina has already landed one guard this transfer cycle in Paxson Wojcik, but that doesn’t appear to stop Hubert Davis from seeking another player to add to the backcourt. When Hubert Davis was introduced as the head coach over two years ago, he laid out his vision for the program, which involves UNC playing with three guards on the floor at the same time. Ryan stands at 6-5, so he would add size to a backcourt in need of it, with Davis and Trimble being smaller guards. Meanwhile, D’Marco Dunn is poised for a bigger role next season, and the aforementioned Wojcik will be making the transition from the Ivy League to the ACC.


After Carolina produced the second-worst three-point shooting team in program history, the goal this off-season has been to find adequate perimeter shooters. Wojcik is a career 36% three-point shooter but has three years of shooting at least 38% from behind the arc. Jae’Lyn Withers, the Louisville transfer, is a career 35% three-point shooter but did shoot 42% last season, despite the struggles for the Cardinals. Potentially adding Ryan, would add another perimeter threat, and UNC much harder to guard than last season, where teams were able to pack the inside to limit Armando Bacot’s damage and close out on Caleb Love and R.J. Davis when they got quality looks from the outside.


Ryan would be the second ACC transfer that Carolina would have added this off-season, and it won’t be their last move, as over the weekend, Hubert Davis and his entire staff visited Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram. Ingram is deciding between UNC and Kansas it appears, and he pushed back his Kansas visit, after an issue with classes. Not only is Carolina waiting on a decision from Ingram, Nick Timberlake, the Towson transfer, who has already visited UNC will commit this week. Depending on how many transfers Carolina can land before the end of the transfer cycle, will determine if they push for Elliot Cadea or Ian Jackson, five–star recruits in the 2024 class, to reclassify and join the team next season.


After seeing every wing player exit the program after the season came to an end, it was inevitable that the Tar Heels would look different next season, just how different remains to be seen.


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