Louisville transfer Jae'Lyn Withers picks North Carolina

Former Louisville forward Jae'Lyn Withers announced his commitment to North Carolina on Tuesday.

Withers decided to transfer after three seasons at Louisville. He has two years of eligibility remaining after a redshirt season in 2019-20.

He made his announcement on social media, inserting himself in a Tar Heels uniform into a photo collage of some of UNC's greats, including Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. Withers is from Charlotte, N.C.

"I chose Chapel Hill because I'd be able to compete at one of the highest levels of college basketball and I'm blessed to be able to play in my home state closer to friends and family," he told On3 Sports. "A lot of NC players dream of playing for a school in their home state and I'm very blessed to have a familiar fan base and a new set of goals."

The 6-foot-9 Withers averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 32 games (29 starts) for the Cardinals last season. He shot 41.7 percent from the 3-point line, a potential boost to a Carolina team that was awful from the perimeter in 2022-23.

Withers averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 81 career games (64 starts) at Louisville.

He remains in the ACC and joins a Carolina team that returns big man Armando Bacot and guard R.J. Davis. The Tar Heels also landed Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik.

The Tar Heels lost starter Caleb Love -- amid six players overall -- to the portal. Leaky Black and Pete Nance are out of eligibility.