UNC's James Brown Entering Transfer Portal 

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. —In the wake of the transfer portal opening and North Carolina’s recent hiring of Michael Malone, James Brown has opted to explore other opportunities. On Tuesday morning, the Aurora, Ill. native confirmed he will enter into the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in nine appearances this season for the Tar Heels before undergoing season-ending surgery on Feb. 18. Brown played a season-high eight minutes in UNC’s win over Radford on Nov. 11, tallying four points. 

Brown, who appeared in 18 games as a freshman, totaling 21 points and 15 rebounds, came to UNC ranked as the No. 91 overall prospect in the 2024 class by the Rivals Industry Ranking. He spent his senior season at Branson (Mo.) Link Academy.

“James is a wonderful kid that works hard,” Hubert Davis said in December. “He is not a good teammate, he’s an amazing and great teammate. He’s always talking in the locker room, in the huddle during practice. He’s someone that loves this place and wants to be a part of winning.”

While Brown played a limited role across his two seasons in Chapel Hill, teammates frequently referred to him as one of the loudest voices in the locker room — crediting him with fiery halftime speeches during UNC’s loss to Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse last season and its come-from-behind win over Virginia this season in Charlottesville.

“James was definitely the loudest in the locker room that day,” Seth Trimble in the aftermath of UNC’s come-from-behind win in Charlottesville on Jan. 24. “James has some toughness to him, he’s not afraid to speak his mind.”