UNC Basketball: Joel Berry signs with team overseas

Joel Berry is the latest former UNC Basketball player to find a new home as he’s joining a club in Turkey for the rest of the season

Former UNC Basketball standout Joel Berry has found a new professional home overseas as he continues his career.

After a four-year career at UNC, the point guard had a brief stint in the NBA with the G-League and is now headed overseas with his new team. Earlier in the week, it was reported that Berry would be signing with Turkish Basketball club Besiktas.

Besiktas announced the move on November 24th, making it official:

The 25-year-old Berry has agreed to join Besiktas for the rest of the 2020-21 season as they have already begun the new campaign. Besiktas recently beat Tofas Bursa 94-85 on November 22nd and return to action on December 6th. It’s unknown if Berry will make his first appearance in that game or not.

Berry is coming off an NBA G-League season where he finished averaging 8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the Greensboro Swarm. Prior to that, he averaged 11.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists for the South Bay Lakers.

In his four seasons with the Tar Heels, Berry emerged as the starter and one of the best point guards in the country. He was the key catalyst for the Tar Heels Championship run in 2017, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four as UNC beat Gonzaga to claim the title.

After his senior season, Berry went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft but signed with the Lakers organization and was sent to the G-League. Now the point guard has his chance to make an impact overseas and find a new home.

For more on Berry and other former UNC Basketball players, please check back with Keeping It Heel.