Is the UNC basketball program at stake for this much-vaunted freshman transfer?
After a season with the Miami Hurricanes basketball program, Earl Timberlake decided to enter the transfer portal. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeff Borzello, the former four-star contender decided to find a new school and expressly stated that he will not enter the NBA Draft. He will try to play another year (at least) of college basketball in hopes of recovering his NBA Draft inventory.
Entering his freshman season, Timberlake was seen as a potential “one-and-done” player. It was designed as a first-round pick, and many expected their time in Miami to be short-lived. However, injuries to his ankle and shoulder have disrupted his season, as he has only had seven games. In these seven games played, Timberlake averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Here’s what Timberlake had to say about his transfer decision:
“I have been dealing with a lot this season, away from home and with ankle and shoulder injuries. I wanted to be with my companions, but unfortunately I couldn’t. After thinking for a while, I came to the conclusion that putting my name on the transfer portal is the best move for my future. Nothing negative happened. There is nothing bad about Miami. I just want a fresh start. I love Coach L and the rest of the coaching staff. I just want to start again and start again somewhere else.
I’m not sure where I want to go. I am open to everything. I’m coming in with an open mind. There are no favorites.
I will not enter the NBA draft. I need to go back to being the real Earl Timberlake before I think about taking the next step in my career. “
Timberlake will definitely be among the best players available on this year’s transfer portal. But the question remains: are the Tar Heels suitable and can they find a way to attract Timberlake to Chapel Hill?
Tar Heel fans were able to see Timberlake in action when Miami hosted North Carolina on January 5. Timberlake did a little of everything, as he scored 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in 37 minutes. Although it was just a game, this small sample size showed exactly what Timberlake is capable of. If he can stay healthy, you can expect to see similar (if not better) numbers whenever Timberlake decides to play next season.
Although he is considered more of a guard, Timberlake has the size and athleticism that would allow him to see some playing time on the wing. It is well known that the Tar Heels need some help on the wing, and Timberlake is a guy who could definitely help fill that gap a little bit.
Considering that Tar Heels must have some scaling flexibility to work, you can expect them to at least look to Timberlake to assess your interest. This time, the Tar Heels may have a chance to get a compromise from him.
When Timberlake decided to go to Miami, his finalists included Providence, Seton Hall, South Carolina and Pittsburgh. North Carolina, in fact, made an offer to Timberlake, but was not included among the final teams he was considering.
From his statement above, Timberlake mentions that he struggled a little to stay away from home. From his original finalists, Timberlake chose the one that is furthest from his hometown, and it looks like this time he will choose a school closer to home.
Well, North Carolina isn’t exactly next to its hometown, Hyattsville, Maryland. If you look online, Chapel Hill is about a two hour flight (if you are leaving Greensboro) and just under seven hours by car. It is still a little far from your hometown, but if you are looking for something positive here, it is closer than Miami was!
North Carolina’s interest in Timberlake may stem from what happens with the current list. If the Tar Heels see some major contributors coming out of the NBA Draft, you could see Roy Williams and his team struggling to bring in a player of Timberlake’s caliber.
If I was making a prediction at this point, I would expect Timberlake to land outside the ACC. I hoped that he would find a program that was not just close to home, but also a place where it fit the system and could see a lot of game time.
That can certainly change based on how the future Tar Heels list starts to form. If certain players start testing the waters of the NBA Draft, Roy Williams and his team could certainly end up giving a strong boost to Timberlake’s services.
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