Two UNC Products Look to Help Nets Win Third Straight

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated 11/28/23

The Brooklyn Nets (8-8), whose regular rotation includes two UNC basketball talents in starter Cam Johnson and backup big man Day'Ron Sharpe, have hovered around .500 all season. On Tuesday night, they'll try to get above that mark again when they host the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Johnson, a former two-year Tar Heel forward after transferring from Pitt in 2017, played Brooklyn's season opener but then missed seven straight outings while recovering from a calf injury.

In his eight games since, including the Nets' most recent two-game home win streak against the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, the 27-year-old Johnson has tallied double-digit points all but once. He's averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 29.6 minutes per game.

As for the 22-year-old Sharpe, the 2020-21 UNC basketball one-and-done came up one point and one rebound shy of a double-double against the Bulls. That would've marked his third double-double off the bench this season.

He's played in every game.

Through those 16 outings, Sharpe is averaging 6.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 15.1 minutes per contest, shooting 54.7 percent from the field.

Brooklyn is the only team this season with two NBA Tar Heels on its roster. Interestingly, that roster also includes a pair of former Duke basketball one-and-done players in Harry Giles and Dariq Whitehead, although neither of them sees as much playing time as Cam Johnson or Day'Ron Sharpe.

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

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