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Isaiah Denis 2025-2026 UNC basketball player preview
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- Isaiah Denis 2025-2026 UNC basketball player preview
North Carolina's season is just under a month away. As we gain insight from how the team is shaping up for the 2025-2026 season, we will take a minute to spotlight all of the players who will don the Carolina Blue this season. Here is what we know about Isaiah Denis and who he could be to Hubert Davis.
Isaiah Denis Bio
Position:Guard
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Height:6-foot-4
Weight:180 pounds
Number:5
Hometown:Charlotte, N.C.
High School:Davidson Day School (North Carolina)
Social media: Instagram
Isaiah Denis 2024-2025 review
Isaiah Denis' senior year at Davidson Day was impressive despite being interrupted by injuries. He averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 19 games, shooting 35.2% from three while helping his team capture the NCISSA 2A state championship, scoring 18 points in the title game.
Denis showcased smooth perimeter shooting, athleticism in transition, and the ability to create shots off the dribble. However, a broken finger and later a hand injury limited his consistency.
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Projected role for 2025-2026
Isaiah Denis fits a "projectable upside" profile, which is not necessarily ready to carry big minutes on day one, but potentially a high-impact rotational wing/guard in time if development goes well under Hubert Davis.
He connected on 35.2% from three in a smaller sample of attempts in high, which is promising given his clean mechanics. He has the potential to be in the mix with guys like Kyan Evans and Jonathan Powell as the team's three-point specialist.
Denis' biggest weakness is his lack of physical strength, which has led to big defensive strength problems; he also has to improve at finishing inside.
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Isaiah Denis Scouting Report
Here is the scouting report on Isaiah Denis from Adam Finkeltstein of 247Sports:
Denis is a skilled scoring guard who plays off the threat of his jumper first and foremost. He has good positional size at 6-foot-5 and plus-athleticism, but a lean frame that doesn't allow him to yet play through contact on a consistent basis. He shot 36% from behind the arc in EYBL play, on almost 6 attempts per game, but has the soft touch, good loft and repeatable release to suggest his shooting can translate in a big way. He's also a tough shot-maker who can create space and then pull-up with range off the dribble, as well as he can shoot off the catch (he finished in the 92nd percentile of the EYBL on contested catch and shoot attempts).
Denis is a multi-level scoring threat though. He has speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, plenty of handle, and some crafty finishing ability at the rim. He shows some flashes of being able to create for others, and seems to have a solid overall feel for the game, but can also be turnover prone (2.4 assists vs. 2.3 turnovers) and is much more reliable off the ball than on at this point.
Similarly, he needs to be more efficient with his individual offense by being less willing to settle for tough shots and adding the upper body strength to make him more effective inside the lane (he shot just 39% on 2pt field goals and rated in only the 19th percentile in points per possession at the rim according to Synergy Sports). Building up his body and being able to withstand more physicality could also help him on the defensive end, where he should have the size, length, and quickness to ultimately be effective.
Isaiah Denis 2025-26 bold prediction
Isaiah Denis figures to be just a role player or depth piece at that for the team this season. However, if he were to break out, I could figure the freshman to serve as a lower-level Brady Manek. His size gives him the advantage; however, the bold prediction would be his shot-creating, decision-making, and space-finding attributes that made Manek the dynamic player that he was.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Isaiah Denis 2025-2026 UNC basketball season player preview
