UNC’s James Brown Isn’t Getting Enough Attention—Yet

Interestingly enough, that season featured four prominent big men in Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Day'Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler — the last two now in the NBA. The four created a force for teams to deal with on the glass, making life a challenge for opposing centers as they attempted to crash for rebounds.

North Carolina has not had anything similar since that season, as it became the Bacot show, where he ultimately became the school's all-time leading rebounder, surpassing Tyler "Psycho T" Hansbrough.

Now, the Tar Heels have Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Zayden High, Jarin Stevenson, Ivan Matlekovic and then there is James Brown, the returning sophomore who played sparingly last season as a freshman, but when in the game, showed flashes of someone who can one day make an impact.

James Brown's Development, Potential Impact and Muscle Growth

It has been reported that Brown has packed on a lot of muscle this offseason, which is also apparent in the photos the social media team has been posting on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). You can tell the difference if you look back at the build from before, and all things considered, this is a great sign for Davis and the staff as he has a better shot at competing in the paint against veteran college centers, fighting for positioning or sealing off his matchup to create driving lanes for the guards.

Brown, despite being a freshman at the time, showed his leadership skills during the UNC-Kansas matchup inside Allen Fieldhouse last year. While the Tar Heels were deep in a hole on the scoreboard, Brown led the verbal charge and sparked the team inside the locker room, which resulted in the comeback that UNC came close to completing with a victory.

Wilson and Veesaar are the projected duo to be the starters, but a backup duo of Stevenson and Brown could be an effective tool for UNC off the bench. Then, the presence of High, as well as Matlekovic, can be utilized in certain situations, depending on the rotation or situational matchups. There are many ways the frontcourt situation can play out for North Carolina, and it all starts on November 3.

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