CHAPEL HILL – It didn’t hit Harrison Ingram until a late night turned into an early morning at the Dean E. Smith Center.
One of seven newcomers on UNC basketball’s 2023-24 roster, Ingram was one of five players from the transfer portal to join the new-look Tar Heels.
Originally recruited by former UNC coach Roy Williams, the Dallas native went from Texas to Stanford, where he spent two seasons before committing to Hubert Davis and making his way to Chapel Hill for his junior year.
“For me, it didn’t really hit until after a weekend I had settled in. I met the whole team and I was here (at the Smith Center),” Ingram said during UNC’s annual media day in early October.
“I couldn’t go to sleep and I was still jet lagged. It was like 2 a.m. and I was bored, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna go to the gym.’ So, I’m in the gym playing music, looking around. It’s dark over here and light over there. I’m just shooting and it’s nobody but me and a basket. That was my welcome-to-Carolina moment. I’m looking around like, ‘This is crazy. This is a dream.’ ”
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Considered UNC’s top-ranked player from the portal, the 6-foot-7 Ingram averaged 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in two seasons with the Cardinal. He’s set to make his debut with the Tar Heels on Nov. 6 against Radford.
Here’s a look at what some of the other newcomers had to say about their welcome-to-Carolina moments.
Cormac Ryan, James Okonkwo, Jae’Lyn Withers drawn by UNC basketball history
Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame), Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville), James Okonkwo (West Virginia) and Paxson Wojcik (Brown) joined Ingram in committing to the Tar Heels via the portal.
Originally from Chapel Hill, Wojcik was the first among those players to commit to UNC. His father, Doug, was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 2000-03.
Wojick is tied to UNC’s history. Ryan, Withers and Okonkwo were drawn by it.
“Every day, I really just try to be present and enjoy just how special of an opportunity it is to play here,” said Ryan, who has played 116 games elsewhere.
“Obviously, it’s a really historic program and I’m fortunate enough to continue to play the game I love. What better place to do it than here?”
Withers, a Charlotte native, referenced “competing day in and day out” as the highlight of his early moments at UNC. Jae’Lyn’s father, Curtis, was an all-conference player at Charlotte.
“I haven’t competed this consistently with a group of teammates in a long time,” said Withers, who endured a 4-28 season at Louisville as a junior.
“It’s just a whole bunch of greatness out here. My dad always spoke about playing against a handful of the guys here in pickup sessions or scrimmages. It’s just being around all this greatness, honestly.”
Okonkwo, the third Englishman to join UNC, committed to the Tar Heels before even visiting the Smith Center.
“Unfortunately, my dad was hospitalized on the visit,” Okonkwo said. “It wasn’t anything too serious, but even on my visit, it was really nice to see how everybody came together to support me and my dad.”
The first time he walked into the Smith Center, Okonkwo was joined by UNC assistant coach Brad Frederick and director of recruiting Pat Sullivan.
“I walked on the court, looked up, and I had to step back a few times,” Okonkwo said.
“I didn’t know what all the jerseys and everything was about, so I was like, ‘Whoa, we won that many and had this many great people?’ All these banners everywhere and I was like, ‘Ah, this is what winning looks like. I could get used to this.’ ”
Elliot Cadeau and Zayden High join Tar Heels as true freshmen
UNC’s famed summer pickup games serve as a baptism by fire for the Tar Heels’ current players. True freshmen Elliot Cadeau and Zayden High were the latest true freshmen to experience those runs.
“Just throughout the practices, seeing how well-conditioned you have to be and how fast everything is. … All the running and stuff was really crazy,” Cadeau said.
“The runs were really helpful, not just playing against current players but the former players and current pros. Cole Anthony, a bunch of other players, it was just great to see what the level I want to be is.”
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Cadeau’s experience was highlighted by the chance to play alongside Anthony, a guard for the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Fellow freshman Zayden High’s moment involved an older teammate: Armando Bacot.
High smiled as he recalled the experience.
“I started talking a little bit to Armando – he was on the other team,” High said.
“Next play down, he came down and kind of dunked – I wouldn’t say on me, but over me, around me, in my area. He was like, ‘Welcome to college!’ ”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at [email protected] or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.