Pete Nance Transfers to UNC from Northwestern After Withdrawing from 2022 NBA Draft

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVJune 18, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: Northwestern Wildcats forward Pete Nance (22) backs into the post against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Keegan Murray (15) during the mens Big Ten tournament college basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels got a major boost to their title hopes for the 2022-23 season, landing former Northwestern forward Pete Nance in a transfer.

Pete Nance @peteln22
Northwestern, thank you for everything. Super excited about the next steps.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gotarheels?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gotarheels</a> <a href="https://t.co/kBcJBmnKnS">pic.twitter.com/kBcJBmnKnS</a>

Nance had put his name into the NBA draft ring this offseason but ultimately withdrew, choosing to play one last season of college basketball.

The 22-year-old averaged 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks last season, shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from three.

For his career he's averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, shooting 35.6 percent from three. But his shooting from the perimeter has improved in each of his four seasons, and while the huge jump he took in 2021-22 may not be sustainable, he'll still be expected to hover around the 40 percent mark.

At 6'10" and 225 pounds, Nance should fit into the team's current starting lineup seamlessly, fitting into a similar stretch-4 role that the departing Brady Manek handled last season.

Brendan Marks @BrendanRMarks
For <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNC</a> fans... Brady Manek career averages pre-UNC: 12 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.7 apg, 37.4% 3PT shooter Pete Nance career averages pre-UNC: 9.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 35.6% 3PT shooter Not a one-for-one replacement (no one could be), but pretty freaking close. Big-time addition.

Caleb Love @caleb2love
“my name is Pete Nance and i’m a Tar Heel…”😁

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

The Tar Heels return their other four starters—Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, R.J. Davis and Leaky Black—to a team that lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in the national championship game last season. They are also bringing in the 15th-ranked recruiting class in 2022, per 247Sports.com's composite rankings, highlighted by a trio of 4-star players in point guard Seth Trimble, center Jalen Washington and power forward Tyler Nickel.

A number of college basketball analysts believe the Tar Heels should open the season as the top-ranked team in the country, including ESPN's Jeff Borzello, College Hoops Today's Jon Rothstein and Stadium's Jeff Goodman.