Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis watches team workout during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Former Tar Heel Enters Next Phase with Overseas Deal

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Jae'Lyn Withers played five seasons in college basketball, three in Louisville as a Cardinal and then his last two for UNC as a Tar Heel, both seasons under Head Coach Hubert Davis.

Last season, Withers struggled at times with shooting the basketball, but toward the end of the season he was able to find a groove, exploding for 21 points off seven three-pointers against Notre Dame in the quarterfinal of the ACC Tournament this year.

Withers completed his final season averaging 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists, making 48.8% of his field goal attempts, respectively. But these numbers are not as high as his freshman year at Louisville, reaching 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 0.5, assists. However, his roles in each season were much different.

Now, after college is all said and done, Withers is going to make his mark overseas playing for Heroes Den Bosch, a team located in the Netherlands. The six-foot-nine, Charlotte, North Carolina native will be traveling far away to make the next step, where he should be able to be an effective player under Head Coach Erik Braal.

✍️ | : ’ !

Welcome in Den Bosch, Jae! ‍♂️
→ https://t.co/NZkJX7zgqg #heroesdenbosch #signing #bnxtleague pic.twitter.com/i9j09FOp1B
— Heroes Den Bosch (@HeroesDenBosch) July 30, 2025

Heroes finished the 2024-2025 season with a record 27-15, finishing the season with a eight-game win streak from May 4 until to June 5 of this year, per RealGM. The addition of Withers on the roster gives the team shooting, athleticism, and length against opposing teams.

Besides Withers, UNC loss Elliot Cadeau (transfer), Cade Tyson (transfer), Ven-Allen Lubin (transfer), RJ Davis (eligbility exhausted), Jalen Washington (transfer), Ian Jackson (transfer), Ty Claude (eligibility exhausted), and Drake Powell to the NBA Draft as he was selected with the No. 22 pick by the Atlanta Hawks, but is now with the Brooklyn Nets due to a trade. That makes nine total departures after Coach Davis' fourth season.

Despite the mass turnover, North Carolina was able to revampe with new faces which fans will see this coming fall. And considering the trend Coach Davis' has had since becoming the successor of three-time national champion Roy Williams, the 2025-2026 campaign will be filled with a lot of godo for the program.

This coming season seems like a "deep run or bust" kind of deal, as the fluctuation in results have varied from making the national championship to missing the NCAAT entirely. Consistency needs to be found, and with General Manager Jim Tanner now a part of the mix, the chances of achieving stability within the program are higher than previously.

Please

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: