Jae’Lyn Withers of has confirmed her return for a fifth year.
For the men’s basketball team at North Carolina, good news keeps coming in the form of Jae’Lyn Withers’ official confirmation on Thursday afternoon that he will be returning to Chapel Hill next season. The former Louisville Cardinal, who transferred to UNC at this time last year, will play for the Tar Heels in 2024–2025 with his extra year of eligibility.
Given that Withers had received little NBA interest, this announcement wasn’t particularly startling. However, following his season in Carolina blue, Withers had few options, and his future plans were unknown for more than a month following the NCAA Tournament. Jon Rothstein revealed the news earlier this week, and he clarified everything by reaffirming his devotion to Hubert Davis and North Carolina.
According to JaeLyn Withers, he will utilize his extra year of eligibility and will be back in North Carolina for the upcoming season.
Just 4.2 points were averaged by the 6-foot-9 big from Charlotte in his first season with the Tar Heels. Withers’ career and role saw ups and downs, but by the end of the campaign, he had shown that he had the athleticism to be a significant spark off the bench. He had encouraging moments during the ACC season, which led to a steady spot in North Carolina’s rotation. His contribution to the Tar Heels’ victory was far greater than his numbers would suggest.
Withers will always be associated with his poorly executed three-point shot against Alabama during the NCAA Tournament, but he will have the chance to develop into a premier supporting actor on another strong North Carolina team the following year. Withers may still be the first player off the bench, but I assume he will continue to play the role of “spark plug.”
Now that his return has been announced, North Carolina has three available scholarships.