Ballo would be a major addition.
Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo is looking to visit North Carolina. He would be a nice Armando Bacot replacement, as his size and ability around the rim would put him in position to play a major role on next year’s team. Now, a visit date must be finalized.
Visit Soon?
According to @247HSHoops on X, Ballo will take a visit to Indiana from April 14th to the 16th. After that, he plans to go to Louisville, Kansas State, Florida, and North Carolina.
Grabbing an impact big out of the portal would be huge for the Tar Heels, as the centers for next season are Jalen Washington, who has played well in limited minutes, and freshman James Brown. Ballo would bring starter experience as well as playing for a winning Arizona program that has made the tournament in each of the past three seasons.
Stats and Accolades
This season, Ballo averaged 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He helped lead the Wildcats to a first-place PAC-12 finish, a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a Sweet-16 appearance. To go along with those, Ballo was also named First-Team All-PAC-12 and PAC-12 All-Defensive-Team.
Roster Impact
If Ballo were to end up at North Carolina, it would give the Tar Heels another fifth-year senior. That experience in itself is valuable. Pairing him with Jalen Washington at the center spot could be beneficial for the team and the outlook of the roster. It would also give freshman James Brown an opportunity to grow behind two players who have been through the grind of a college schedule.
This will be updated as developments continue.
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