LOS ANGELES — Following UNC basketball’s season-ending loss to Alabama in the NCAA Tournament, questions were ramping up about what the Tar Heels could look like in the 2024-25 season.

Third-year coach Hubert Davis brought in seven newcomers — including five players from the transfer portal — to surround veterans RJ Davis and Armando Bacot this season. That worked out for the Tar Heels (29-8), who won the ACC regular-season championship and snagged a No. 1 seed in March Madness.

The roster reconstruction also helped UNC sweep the major conference awards, with RJ Davis winning ACC Player of the Year and Hubert Davis being named ACC Coach of the Year.

But with the transfer portal, recruiting and players exhausting eligibility, roster continuity is a rarity in college basketball. Here's an early look at what the Tar Heels might look like in the 2024-25 season.

Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan, Paxson Wojcik are definitely gone

Armando Bacot, who notched his 87th career double-double in his final game as a Tar Heel to match Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan for the ACC record, has reached the end of his journey in Chapel Hill. Bacot averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds this season as UNC’s primary option in the post.

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Cormac Ryan, who thrived as a Notre Dame transfer in his lone season at UNC, is also done with college basketball. Ryan averaged 11.5 points and proved to be one of the Tar Heels’ top shooters with a 35.2% clip from 3-point range.

Then there’s Paxson Wojcik, who played sparingly off the bench in an energy-booster role for the Heels after transferring from Brown. Each of those three players won’t be on UNC’s roster next season.

UNC basketball’s RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram have decisions to make

RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram are the top priorities for the Tar Heels. After an All-American season in which he averaged 21.2 points as the ACC Player of the Year, Davis might feel like he’s accomplished all he wants to accomplish in Chapel Hill. He also might want to call it a career alongside Bacot. But, if he wants to use it, UNC’s lead guard has a fifth year of eligibility.

Ingram, a junior, also has the option of staying put with the Heels. With averages of 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds, the versatile wing ended his first season at UNC as one of the team’s most reliable options on both ends of the court. If UNC brings that duo back, they only need to add some complimentary pieces. If not, Hubert Davis and the coaching staff will need to ramp up efforts in the transfer portal.

Will Elliot Cadeau be back for his sophomore year?

It’s easy to forget freshman guard Elliot Cadeau is supposed to be in high school. Cadeau played his fewest minutes of the season in UNC’s loss to Alabama, but the 19-year-old point guard started in 31 of 37 games. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 assists as the Heels’ primary facilitator. If he returns, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be among the vital pieces on next year’s team.

Will Jae’Lyn Withers, Seth Trimble, Jalen Washington return?

UNC’s top reserves also have decisions to make. For the third season in a row, the Tar Heels were among the teams that leaned heavily on starters, with limited minutes for bench players. Sophomore guard Seth Trimble (17.1 minutes per game), Louisville transfer Jae’Lyn Withers (12.4 mpg) and sophomore forward Jalen Washington (8.4 mpg) were UNC’s top options off the bench. Each of those players may want increased roles elsewhere, but it also depends on what other players on the roster decide to do.

UNC’s 2024 recruiting class, led by Ian Jackson and Drake Powell

The Tar Heels have a trio of freshmen in a 2024 recruiting class that comes in at ninth nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings. Ian Jackson, a dynamic five-star guard, is the headliner capable of being an instant game-changing player. In-state wing Drake Powell, another five-star prospect, is expected to bring similar versatility and production out of the gate. Then there’s 6-foot-9 forward James Brown, a three-star recruit who will likely need time to develop and adjust to the college level.

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What UNC basketball needs in the transfer portal

With Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan gone, there are two obvious needs for UNC ahead of next season. The Tar Heels need a reliable post player and a shooter capable of consistently knocking down 3-pointers. If RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram return, they’ll help with the shooting piece of that puzzle. Ingram’s rebounding would also help on the interior, but the Tar Heels will need another post presence to help fill the void left by Bacot.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What UNC basketball roster could look like in 2024-25 season