All Tar Heels

Top-Ranked Transfer Plans to Visit UNC Basketball Program Soon

It seems UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis is looking to bring in another dominant paint force to Chapel Hill.

Cam Robertson

UNC basketball transfer target Oumar Ballo
UNC basketball transfer target Oumar Ballo / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Across five seasons in Chapel Hill, Armando Bacot made his mark in the UNC basketball record books by being a physical, hard-nosed force in the paint night in and night out. His time as a Tar Heel is now over, but it appears head coach Hubert Davis is already looking for his replacement.

RELATED: Tar Heels Lose Junior Big Man James Okonkwo to Transfer Portal

On Thursday, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that former Arizona big man Oumar Ballo said he will be heading to Chapel Hill for a visit with Davis and the Tar Heels. 

Ballo, a 7-foot, 260-pound center, entered his name in the transfer portal on Monday after playing his last three seasons for Arizona. He currently ranks as the No. 1 player on the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

After beginning his career at Gonzaga, Ballo followed Tommy Lloyd to Tucson when he took the Arizona job. Used primarily as a reserve in his first two seasons, Ballo became a full-time starter in both his junior and senior seasons.

The 21-year-old started all 71 games he appeared in over his final two seasons for the Wildcats. This past year, he averaged a double-double, notching 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in only 25.9 minutes of action per game.

Tipton also reported that Ballo already has visits scheduled with Indiana, Louisville, and Kansas State over the next 10 days. But he will visit both the UNC basketball program and Florida the following week.

If Davis and the Tar Heels were to land Ballo’s services, the Mali native would almost certainly slide into the starting center position and look to replicate Bacot’s former role for UNC.

Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI for more updated on the Tar Heels' pursuits in the transfer portal and other UNC basketball news.

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Cam Robertson
CAM ROBERTSON

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