Former UNC basketball center Day'Ron Sharpe Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

UNC Basketball Pro Fresh Off Career-High Performance

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Feb 28, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe, drafted No. 29 overall in 2021 following his one-and-done stay in the UNC basketball program, delivered a career-high 25 points on Wednesday night, albeit in a 129-121 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 23-year-old from Greenville, N.C., also grabbed 15 rebounds in the contest, two shy of his top mark as a professional. He added five assists, two steals, and three blocks across 31 minutes in what was his first starting nod this season.

Career-high 25 points @dayron_sharpe #CarolinaFamily | #ProHeels pic.twitter.com/S8n6DQFGe7
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 27, 2025

Through 36 outings this go-round, Sharpe is averaging a career-high 8.7 points, 6.6 boards, and 1.7 assists in 17.6 minutes per game. He's shooting 53.2 percent from the field and a career-best 77.3 percent at the charity stripe.

As for the Nets' other UNC basketball product, 28-year-old full-time starting forward Cam Johnson, currently averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game, finished with 19 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and one steal versus the Thunder.

Day'Ron Sharpe, Cam Johnson, and the Brooklyn Nets (21-37) square off against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers (26-33) at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday.

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

More must-reads: