Heel Tough Blog: UNC Showing Interest in International Prospect

Eurohoops

The Tar Heels are still looking to add to the roster for the 2025-26 season, and with all of their options all but gone in the transfer portal, Hubert Davis has turned his attention to international prospects to join the program for next season, potentially. According to both Inside Carolina and Tar Heel Illustrated, the UNC program has made contact with Ivan Kharchenkov, a 6-6 wing from Germany, who played for Bayern Munich last season. Kharchenkov averaged 5.1 points per game while shooting 45% from the field, 22% from behind the arc, and just 52% from the free throw line. His most productive season overseas came last season, when he averaged over 14 points per game while playing across four different leagues. In that season, he averaged those 14.1 points, on 41% shooting from the field, and 25% shooting from behind the arc. He has been named to the Podgorica All-Tournament Team twice in his career. 

This isn’t the first time that UNC has gone looking for help internationally, and it won’t be the last. Per Inside Carolina, they are also showing interest in two other international prospects, in addition to Kharchenkov. When Hubert Davis was hired, he vowed to return Carolina to the national scene in terms of high school recruiting, while also being a force globally, like the program was at the end of Coach Smith’s legendary career in Chapel Hill. With Davis having landed multiple five-star prospects, he has delivered on bringing in the top talent from the States into his program, now he just has to add international talent for his program to be global once again. 

Hubert Davis has already landed five transfers this off-season, bringing in Kyan Evans (Colorado State), Jonathan Powell (West Virginia), Henri Veesaar (Arizona), Jarin Stevenson (Alabama), and Jaydon Young (Virginia Tech). The decision of Drake Powell to turn pro without any intention of coming back to college forced the program’s hand to find another wing, which led to the interest of Kharchenkov. 

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