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UNC basketball 2025-26 newcomer details what it means to be a Tar Heel
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- UNC basketball 2025-26 newcomer details what it means to be a Tar Heel
A long offseason full of waiting, mystery and excitement is finally coming to a close, as the North Carolina Tar Heels play basketball this week.
UNC travels out west to Utah, facing former recruiting target AJ Dybantsa and his BYU Cougars in a Friday night tip-off. When North Carolina takes the court, it'll be doing so with 11 new players, giving head coach Hubert Davis the perfect chance to experiment with his rotations.
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One of those new Tar Heels is Jaydon Young , a Virginia Tech/High Point transfer who grew up a die-hard Tar Heels fan in Goldsboro. In a recent feature by TarHeel247's Noah Weiskopf , Young talked about what it means to play for UNC – and his initial shock in discovering UNC's interest.
"Jay, I don't know how to say this, but I was on the phone with UNC yesterday and they would love for you to be a Tar Heel," Young's dad, Victor said. "Wow," Young replied. "Dad, are you serious? This is a dream come true."
Young previously faced North Carolina twice in his Hokies career, most recently scoring 12 points in North Carolina's 91-59 win on March 4 . Across his two seasons in Blacksburg, Young averaged 16.1 minutes, 5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
When the Tar Heels officially begin gameplay on Monday, November 3 in their season-opener against Central Arkansas, Young told Weiskopf he'll be ready to live out his childhood dreams.
"None of this has really hit me just yet," Young said. "I think, first game, maybe. But I feel like I've got a lot more confidence in my game now, so I don't think I'll be too nervous."
How much playing time will Young receive in his first year at UNC?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Jaydon Young calls playing UNC basketball "a dream come true"
