The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off a fairly successful season having reached the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 29-8 record overall including 17-3 in ACC play. They were eliminated in the Sweet 16 though by Alabama in a disappointing finish to their 2023-24 season. They’ll be losing star big man Armando Bacot who no longer has college eligibility. But North Carolina could have his replacement on the horizon as they’re in talks with former Kentucky big man Aaron Bradshaw as per Sherrell McMillan of 247Sports.
McMillan reports that North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis and the rest of the coaching staff have held discussions with Aaron Bradshaw in recent days. Aaron Bradshaw entered the transfer portal following the departure of Kentucky head coach John Calipari to Alabama.
North Carolina is certainly looking to reload after what they probably would consider a disappointing end in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels were a top ranked team for the majority of the season and entered March Madness as a No. 1 seed. Adding a player like Bradshaw could help the Tar Heels stay afloat in the ACC.
Aaron Bradshaw could be in line for a breakout season
Aaron Bradshaw didn’t quite get to showcase his full potential during his lone season at Kentucky. The former five-star big man started his freshman season on the sideline while recovering from a foot injury. He didn’t make his Kentucky debut until the beginning of December.
Overall, Bradshaw appeared in 26 games for the Wildcats, including ten starts in a little over 13 minutes per game. He averaged 4.9 points per game and 3.3 rebounds with splits of 57.6 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from the three point line and 56.8 percent shooting from the free throw line.
During the Wildcats first round loss to Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, Bradshaw only played four minutes and finished with three points, three rebounds and one blocked shot.
What makes Bradshaw such an intriguing prospect for North Carolina, aside from the fact that they need frontcourt help with Bacot’s departure, is his array of skills. He’s got good size for a center. He’s able to be a rim protector in the paint, a finisher around the basket and a player who can step out and space the floor with his shooting.
While Bradshaw is still very raw as a player, he has untapped potential that could possibly be unlocked in a new situation with a larger, more defined role. North Carolina has an opening at center that he could help fill immediately.
Coming out of high school, Bradshaw committed to Kentucky over offers from LSU, Oklahoma State, DePaul, Kansas State, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, TCU, Texas A&M and UCLA.
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