Good news continues to develop for North Carolina men’s basketball as Jae’Lyn Withers officially confirmed his return to Chapel Hill next year on Thursday afternoon. The former Louisville Cardinal, who transferred into UNC this time last year, will use his additional year of eligibility in 2024-25 for the Tar Heels.
This wasn’t necessarily a shocking announcement because Withers lacked NBA attention. That said, Withers had a handful of options after his one year in Carolina blue, and there was no indication of his future plans for over a month after the NCAA Tournament. All questions were answered when he reassured his commitment to Hubert Davis and North Carolina when Jon Rothstein broke the news earlier this week.
The 6-foot-9 forward from Charlotte averaged just 4.2 points in his inaugural year with the Tar Heels. It was a rollercoaster year for his stock and role, but towards the end of the season Withers proved that his athleticism could be a large spark off the bench. He showed promising flashes throughout ACC play that found him in a consistent role in the North Carolina rotation, and he played a much bigger part in the Tar Heels success than his stats indicate.
Withers will be remembered for the ill-advised three-pointer against Alabama in the NCAA Tournament, but he will have an opportunity to blossom into an elite role player on another talented North Carolina roster next season. I presume Withers will still be in the ‘spark plug’ role with possibility of being the first option off the bench.
Following the announcement of his return, North Carolina is down to three open scholarships.
