Daily Drop: How Would Onyenso, Hawkins & Lubin Fit At UNC?!

[andrew jones]

TarHeelIllustrated - Daily Drop: How Would Onyenso, Hawkins & Lubin Fit At UNC?!

As North Carolina continues its quest to add to its 2024-25 roster through the transfer portal, the focus is on a trio

northcarolina.rivals.com

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Excellent video. Thanks.

It's been driving me nutty not knowing who we were going after. So I really appreciate you answering that question.

If we are to get 2 of these 3 guys, it sounds like Hawkins would fit well with Lubin or Onyenso. I'd take either of those pairings. The pair that sounds redundant is Lubin and Onyenso. That said, I would take that pair in a heartbeat, too. But I worry a bit about chemistry.

Lubin and Hawkins sound the most ready to go. And you have convinced me on Lubin. So that's my preferred pair, if we get a pair.

Onyenso is impressive, but is he as ready as those guys? We may not need Onyenso to excel on offense if he's that strong on defense. That would be especially true if we get another scorer like Hawkins. So Hawkins and Onyenso also sounds like a good pair.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Last year there was a point when it looked like we were considering Ryan, Ingram, and Cleveland. We ended up with Cormac and Harrison and that was great. But when it looked like we might get only one, I was leaning toward Cleveland - partly beccause he just seemed more versitile and maybe the more proven scorer.

This time, if we only get one, I'm leaning toward Hawkins. But the problem with that is that he may never be available, since he's in the draft.

I want someone now!

So . . . I'm comfortable with Lubin if we get only one, because he seems more ready to go. But I think our staff could make great use of Onyenso, too, so getting either one would make my day.

Get one of those guys, and I'm comfortable letting Hawkins play out.

 

[dtodd4475]

Could be wrong, but I think those three together do not fit. It's the Jalen Washington and Withers conundrum. Hubert let it be known to Dunn, Styles, and Puff that if you want to stay we are bringing in someone that will be our focus next year. Cormac and Harrison came in established.

Not so this year, you will split, at 5 or 4 with Withers and Jalen it will be a competition. Now Hawkins if he returns to college ball fits last year, your guarenteed big minutes, no doubt, yours to lose, you are the 4. The others ?

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I'm now convinced I want only one more dude. I'm hoping it is either Onyenso or Lubin. I think Hawkins is one heck of a player but the other two are perfect for exactly what we need.

 

[blazers]

Portal shopping is weird, the paradox of choice when no options are perfect. I think this team needs offense: RJ is the only proven returning scorer. Can Belmont guy create his own shot? Can frosh find their way in supporting roles? But I also think it needs rebounding and defense since the guards are so small.

 

[DaveChapelle]

Need to add at least 2 front court players. Let all the front court guys battle it out in practice and early season games to see who can help us the most.

We have a lot of scoring, rebounding, and defense to replace with Bacot and Ingram gone.
I'd take all 3 guys if I thought they would all commit.

 

[andrew jones]

Could be wrong, but I think those three together do not fit. It's the Jalen Washington and Withers conundrum. Hubert let it be known to Dunn, Styles, and Puff that if you want to stay we are bringing in someone that will be our focus next year. Cormac and Harrison came in established.

Not so this year, you will split, at 5 or 4 with Withers and Jalen it will be a competition. Now Hawkins if he returns to college ball fits last year, your guarenteed big minutes, no doubt, yours to lose, you are the 4. The others ?

Pod is about each individually, not as a group.

 

[DSouthr]

I'm now convinced I want only one more dude. I'm hoping it is either Onyenso or Lubin. I think Hawkins is one heck of a player but the other two are perfect for exactly what we need.

TP, if we get only 1 more guy or say we get only one of the 3 names bantered about, I think it has to be Lubin, fortunate that looking out now that he seems by far to be the most likely to pop for us. I say this because Lubin addresses two need areas rather than just 1. Both Oyenseo and Hawkins to me only address 1 positon of need.

Even further, word is that Oyenso is looking for a min of 30mins a game, that simply is not going to happen for him at UNC unless injury were to strike Jalen. If we were to get Oyenso, while some may disagree, I am not sure who would be our starter (at the 5) and who ever that starter ended up being the guy off the bench may get more minutes. Oyenso, is 7ft and weights in around 250lbs but watching him play he plays more like a guy 6'8-9", not real physical. Lubin on the otherhand is 6'8" 230lbs but has a 7'1" reach, plays more like a guy 6'10", in other words Lubin plays above his height and Oyenso plays smaller than his height.

Hawkins, I just get a bit of a Dawson Garcia vibe, looing to be the man where ever he goes, will command a huge NIL deal because the pickings are so slim forcing teams to over pay for what is left over. The FIT just does not feel right with him for UNC, some other program where he could have A Dalton Konnect like impact seems to be what he is looking for. Combined with his being more a 4 that wants to be a 3 and we don't need a 3 at all, we have 4 guys that wil be looking for 3 minutes, we do not need a 5th.

 

[RP12]

TP, if we get only 1 more guy or say we get only one of the 3 names bantered about, I think it has to be Lubin, fortunate that looking out now that he seems by far to be the most likely to pop for us. I say this because Lubin addresses two need areas rather than just 1. Both Oyenseo and Hawkins to me only address 1 positon of need.

Even further, word is that Oyenso is looking for a min of 30mins a game, that simply is not going to happen for him at UNC unless injury were to strike Jalen. If we were to get Oyenso, while some may disagree, I am not sure who would be our starter (at the 5) and who ever that starter ended up being the guy off the bench may get more minutes. Oyenso, is 7ft and weights in around 250lbs but watching him play he plays more like a guy 6'8-9", not real physical. Lubin on the otherhand is 6'8" 230lbs but has a 7'1" reach, plays more like a guy 6'10", in other words Lubin plays above his height and Oyenso plays smaller than his height.

Hawkins, I just get a bit of a Dawson Garcia vibe, looing to be the man where ever he goes, will command a huge NIL deal because the pickings are so slim forcing teams to over pay for what is left over. The FIT just does not feel right with him for UNC, some other program where he could have A Dalton Konnect like impact seems to be what he is looking for. Combined with his being more a 4 that wants to be a 3 and we don't need a 3 at all, we have 4 guys that wil be looking for 3 minutes, we do not need a 5th.

My bet would be that you're touching on the real reason we may not have landed some top big targets, that being minutes/role promises rather than any NIL deficiencies. If Hubert is who i think he is, I doubt he's going to give the guarantees that some coaches might, and I would hope he wouldn't do so at the expense of kids who have chosen to be here and stay here. Those promising the world will hopefully pay the price in lost trust from future portal targets or those already on their rosters.

 

[DSouthr]

Portal shopping is weird, the paradox of choice when no options are perfect. I think this team needs offense: RJ is the only proven returning scorer. Can Belmont guy create his own shot? Can frosh find their way in supporting roles? But I also think it needs rebounding and defense since the guards are so small.

Watching Tyson, he looks great as a catch and shoot guy, stroke does to me look very Manic like, catches and pulls the trigger with zero hesitation and gets the shot off quick. When you look back at last season and the type of shots Ryan got, there was a LOT of catch and shoot. Where Ryan really struggled was coming hard off screens, he didn't always get his feet squared, the little of that I have seen from Tyson seems to be he may not struggle as much shooting off curl action, seems to not need the room Ryan needed.

We know RJ is shooter shooter, what we don't know is can Jalen be that, I think he can because his length is such his shot is really hard to alter, has a nice high release on his jumper, shoots it with a really nice confident stroke. WE don't know how much jump shooting Ian or Drake will bring nor do we know if JWit can make better decisions with his shot selectiuon and maybe hit a solid %. Point is we don't really know what our jump shooting will look like, it could be great or it could underwhelm.

But look going in to last season, no one expected Ingram to shoot like he did, especially the treys, we expected Ryan to shoot much better than he did, we knew RJ could shoot but I think think any of expected to shoot the harder shots a swell as he did, and I think most expected Paxon to be a solid sniper and he wasn't. Just cause it looks one way going in to the season does not mean it plays out that way.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

TP, if we get only 1 more guy or say we get only one of the 3 names bantered about, I think it has to be Lubin, fortunate that looking out now that he seems by far to be the most likely to pop for us. I say this because Lubin addresses two need areas rather than just 1. Both Oyenseo and Hawkins to me only address 1 positon of need.

Even further, word is that Oyenso is looking for a min of 30mins a game, that simply is not going to happen for him at UNC unless injury were to strike Jalen. If we were to get Oyenso, while some may disagree, I am not sure who would be our starter (at the 5) and who ever that starter ended up being the guy off the bench may get more minutes. Oyenso, is 7ft and weights in around 250lbs but watching him play he plays more like a guy 6'8-9", not real physical. Lubin on the otherhand is 6'8" 230lbs but has a 7'1" reach, plays more like a guy 6'10", in other words Lubin plays above his height and Oyenso plays smaller than his height.

Hawkins, I just get a bit of a Dawson Garcia vibe, looing to be the man where ever he goes, will command a huge NIL deal because the pickings are so slim forcing teams to over pay for what is left over. The FIT just does not feel right with him for UNC, some other program where he could have A Dalton Konnect like impact seems to be what he is looking for. Combined with his being more a 4 that wants to be a 3 and we don't need a 3 at all, we have 4 guys that wil be looking for 3 minutes, we do not need a 5th.

I assume Hawkins starts at the 4 if he comes here.

I'm not expecting him to come here. But if he does...

Seth
Ian
Drake
Withers
JWash

Not a bad 2nd platoon.

 

[Kool1234567]

Need to add at least 2 front court players. Let all the front court guys battle it out in practice and early season games to see who can help us the most.

We have a lot of scoring, rebounding, and defense to replace with Bacot and Ingram gone.
I'd take all 3 guys if I thought they would all commit.

No chance that is happening…

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I do not want a kid who demands PT without earning it OR demands a $ figure without concern for team success. I prefer peeps who realize the long term benefit of UNC's connections and history. I want peeps who believe in earning what they get and who know that if the team succeeds all players reap the benefit. (High tide raises ALL boats!) I watched puke and Kentuck recently implode when peeps played for themselves and never considered team success so....UNC must remain different! Give me Lubin and Tyson and I'll take my chances against other teams' mercenaries! Give me peeps with potential who are willing to be coached and to work and I'll happily face anybody's collection of 5* pros in waiting!

I'm also fine if we simply stand pat!

 

[blazers]

@andrew jones I think you said "just one guy", did you mean only one of this trio, or just one more xfer total? Early in the process it seemed we were hot on the trail for Thiero AND a Center. None of these guys fit the mold of Thiero, so i wonder if Hubert still wants a do-it-all forward that could be more akin to a Harrison Ingram.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I do not want a kid who demands PT without earning it OR demands a $ figure without concern for team success. I prefer peeps who realize the long term benefit of UNC's connections and history. I want peeps who believe in earning what they get and who know that if the team succeeds all players reap the benefit. (High tide raises ALL boats!) I watched puke and Kentuck recently implode when peeps played for themselves and never considered team success so....UNC must remain different! Give me Lubin and Tyson and I'll take my chances against other teams' mercenaries! Give me peeps with potential who are willing to be coached and to work and I'll happily face anybody's collection of 5* pros in waiting!

I'm also fine if we simply stand pat!

While I agree with your sentiment, if I put myself in the shoes of a good player in the portal - where by "good" I mean good enough to have multiple good schools wanting my services - I am going to want to start, get guaranteed PT and command high $$ if I can get them.

If it comes down to a couple of schools and coaches I like and one school is offering more money, why wouldn't I go for the extra money?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I just read excerpts from Hawkins's interview and I'm feeling more optimistic that we could get him.

He says he needs a guaranteed contract to stay in the draft, but he's ranked #79. He's going to need to impress them a lot in the workouts to move into the guaranteed money.

He says if he returns he won't go to the Big 10 or the Big East.

He says he's not that moved by the money.

So . . . he might stay in college (even though he'd rather not), he's already ruled out some of the competition, and we might be able to afford him.

Moreover, he could easily play alongside either Lubin or Onyenso, so we can still go after them without hurting our chances with Hawkins.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

While I agree with your sentiment, if I put myself in the shoes of a good player in the portal - where by "good" I mean good enough to have multiple good schools wanting my services - I am going to want to start, get guaranteed PT and command high $$ if I can get them.

If it comes down to a couple of schools and coaches I like and one school is offering more money, why wouldn't I go for the extra money?

I believe that the player and his family should certainly choose the program they think best fits their needs! I would also expect to get compensation that fits my ability. The difference is:
1. I would never allow my son to demand PT BUT I would expect him to prove worthy to get it!
2. I would never counsel my son to demand a certain dollar figure BUT I would do research to see who helps get peeps paid the best AND who develops peeps best while not appearing to have compromised values!
3. After we chose a school, I would help monitor to see if my son is living up to OUR standards and that his coaching staff was treating him well and living up to their promises.
4. We wouldn't be school hopping either but would consider leaving if the coach leaves, they are treating him poorly, or they have proven to be liars or cheaters!

 

[andrew jones]

@andrew jones I think you said "just one guy", did you mean only one of this trio, or just one more xfer total? Early in the process it seemed we were hot on the trail for Thiero AND a Center. None of these guys fit the mold of Thiero, so i wonder if Hubert still wants a do-it-all forward that could be more akin to a Harrison Ingram.

One overall. If they brought in another player that challenges for playing time, it would create too much of a logjam. They spent a lot of money to keep the roster mostly intact because they believe in those players and the ones coming in. So recruiting over them at this juncture isn't likely.

 

[blazers]

One overall. If they brought in another player that challenges for playing time, it would create too much of a logjam. They spent a lot of money to keep the roster mostly intact because they believe in those players and the ones coming in. So recruiting over them at this juncture isn't likely.

Thanks for clarifying, and great podcast as usual.

 

[NorCalTarheel]

One overall. If they brought in another player that challenges for playing time, it would create too much of a logjam. They spent a lot of money to keep the roster mostly intact because they believe in those players and the ones coming in. So recruiting over them at this juncture isn't likely.

See @dadika!! I told you there aren't enough minutes for two more!!!
🤪🤣😂

 

[DaveChapelle]

One interesting discussion we could have is who on our current roster would our coaches pursue if they had entered the portal this offseason from another school?

Zayden High (and TJ Power) were both emergency offers when news began to swirl about GG decommitting. The staff had previously scouted High and chose not to offer him. During his freshman season High didn't play much or show much, aside from a crazy foul rate. He averaged nearly 9 fouls per 40 minutes. If freshman Zayden High of LSU was in the portal right now with the what he showed this past season, I really doubt our staff would even send him a text message.

What about Jalen Washington? 8 minutes per game, a high foul rate (6.6 fouls per 40 minutes,) too immobile to defend the perimeter, too weak to defend the paint, a twice reconstructed knee, and a beautiful jumpshot. Would the staff recruit him if he had just put his name in the portal after viewing film of his sophomore year? My guess is no. The question marks and the negatives greatly outweigh the one positive he's shown.

Then there's Withers. They already showed they would recruit him last offseason out of the portal. He had a pretty poor season in a lot of ways. Would the staff view him differently than they did a year ago? I'd wager that they'd take a more cumulative view on his career and still choose to pursue him because he's a local kid, and his athleticism and defense make him look like a good fit.

Kind of sobering to think about. On our current roster, 2 of our top 3 bigs are guys that probably wouldn't even get offers from UNC today if they were currently in the portal.

 

[blazers]

See @dadika!! I told you there aren't enough minutes for two more!!!
🤪🤣😂

#@fail

 

[dtodd4475]

One interesting discussion we could have is who on our current roster would our coaches pursue if they had entered the portal this offseason from another school?

Zayden High (and TJ Power) were both emergency offers when news began to swirl about GG decommitting. The staff had previously scouted High and chose not to offer him. During his freshman season High didn't play much or show much, aside from a crazy foul rate. He averaged nearly 9 fouls per 40 minutes. If freshman Zayden High of LSU was in the portal right now with the what he showed this past season, I really doubt our staff would even send him a text message.

What about Jalen Washington? 8 minutes per game, a high foul rate (6.6 fouls per 40 minutes,) too immobile to defend the perimeter, too weak to defend the paint, a twice reconstructed knee, and a beautiful jumpshot. Would the staff recruit him if he had just put his name in the portal after viewing film of his sophomore year? My guess is no. The question marks and the negatives greatly outweigh the one positive he's shown.

Then there's Withers. They already showed they would recruit him last offseason out of the portal. He had a pretty poor season in a lot of ways. Would the staff view him differently than they did a year ago? I'd wager that they'd take a more cumulative view on his career and still choose to pursue him because he's a local kid, and his athleticism and defense make him look like a good fit.

Kind of sobering to think about. On our current roster, 2 of our top 3 bigs are guys that probably wouldn't even get offers from UNC today if they were currently in the portal.

Could be wrong, but from reading the tea leaves it seems to me they did "rerecruit" Washington and Withers. They did not get the Dunn, Puff, and Styles message.