Latest UNC basketball transfer loss could actually be good news

UNC basketball saw yet another player enter the transfer portal on Thursday with D’Marco Dunn putting his name in. But that might actually be good news.

Hubert Davis is going to feel like he’s coaching a completely different Tar Heels team when the 2023-24 UNC basketball season gets underway. The transfer portal has been the story of the offseason for North Carolina, both with the losses the roster has suffered there but also with the additions of guys like Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan, among others.

On Thursday, though, UNC basketball saw another player on the roster bolt for the portal.

Rising junior D’Marco Dunn put his name in the transfer portal on Thursday, a decision that seemingly came out of nowhere, as reported by Inside Carolina. Dunn averaged 2.7 points and 0.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game this past season with 27 appearances, though he did have some big moments, most notably a big-time outburst to help the Heels past Louisville.

Given that North Carolina had already lost the likes of Caleb Love, Tyler Nickel and other backcourt depth to the transfer portal, this might not look great initially for the Heels. But in actuality, it could be a great sign for UNC basketball.

UNC basketball rumors: Is D’Marco Dunn transfer a sign of Elliot Cadeau reclassifying?

There has been buzz for quite some time that 5-star guard and 2024 UNC commit Elliot Cadeau, the No. 9 recruit in the country for his class, could potentially reclassify for 2023. Scouts have praised the 6-foot-1 point guard’s college readiness and, with the Tar Heels clearly scrambling to improve the roster and depth, a reclassification of a star recruit would help tremendously.

Given that Dunn wasn’t part of the initial wave of transfer departures for UNC basketball, there might be some tea leaves to read here. Could this decision be based on the fact that Dunn knew he wasn’t going to see his minutes increase with the incoming transfers, RJ Davis, and then Cadeau reclassifying and also coming to town? It would make a ton of sense.

Of course, this doesn’t mean for certain that Elliot Cadeau will be with the Tar Heels come tip off of the 2023-24 season. He’s expected to make a decision on reclassifying this summer. However, the Dunn transfer could very well be a signal of where he’s leaning on that decision. And for as hopeful as Davis and the North Carolina staff were for the future of Dunn, adding a 5-star guard like Cadeau to the mix would be a much bigger boost for the roster.