Who Is UNC Men’s Basketball Freshman Isaiah Denis?

Isaiah Denis, from Davidson, North Carolina, the location where NBA superstar Steph Curry went to college. Denis, who sits at six-foot-five and 175 pounds left high school as the No. 74 player in the country, No. 12 at the combo guard position, and No. 4 in the state of North Carolina.

For what it's worth, and something to think about, past UNC guard RJ Davis was a four-star when leaving Archbishop Stepinac.

Denis, who is tall and lengthy will serve as a mismatch problem for oppsing defenders who stand around six-foot-two or six-foot-three, and with his ability to make shots — that only makes things harder for whoever is in front of him.

247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein evaluated Denis and had a lot to say:

"Denis is a skilled scoring guard who plays off the threat of his jumper first and foremost. He has good positional size at 6-foot-5 and plus-athleticism, but a lean frame that doesn’t allow him to yet play through contact on a consistent basis.

He shot 36% from behind the arc in EYBL play, on almost 6 attempts per game, but has the soft touch, good loft and repeatable release to suggest his shooting can translate in a big way. He’s also a tough shot-maker who can create space and then pull-up with range off the dribble, as well as he can shoot off the catch (he finished in the 92nd percentile of the EYBL on contested catch and shoot attempts).

Denis is a multi-level scoring threat though. He has speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, plenty of handle, and some crafty finishing ability at the rim. He shows some flashes of being able to create for others, and seems to have a solid overall feel for the game, but can also be turnover prone (2.4 assists vs. 2.3 turnovers) and is much more reliable off the ball than on at this point.

Similarly, he needs to be more efficient with his individual offense by being less willing to settle for tough shots and adding the upper body strength to make him more effective inside the lane (he shot just 39% on 2pt field goals and rated in only the 19th percentile in points per possession at the rim according to Synergy Sports).

Building up his body and being able to withstand more physicality could also help him on the defensive end, where he should have the size, length, and quickness to ultimately be effective."

There is a ton of talent and experience ahead of Denis before he makes the starting lineup, but if he performs well in practice (a big determining factor by Hubert Davis, as seen in the past), then it would be no surprise that he earns minutes.

The skill set is there, the measurements, now it's about execution for Denis.

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