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UNC Basketball: Former Tar Heel Luke Maye close to finding new home?

By Blake Cockrum

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a basket late in teh second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a basket late in teh second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Former UNC basketball standout Luke Maye close to signing new deal overseas

According to a report from EuroHoops on Monday morning, former University of North Carolina basketball standout Luke Maye is close to signing a new deal with BAXI Manresa. The Spanish professional basketball organization’s home is in Manresa, Spain, and plays in the Liga ACB.

Going to Spain would be a good move for Maye, as the Liga ACB is one of the most respected professional basketball leagues in the world, and particularly in Europe. The BAXI Manresa club hasn’t been especially competitive in recent years — with the exception of their second-place finish in 2017-18 — but they’re hoping to get back to the championship level of play they were at in the late 1990s.

Maye, who played in Italy for Lega Basket Serie A’s Dolomiti Energia Trento last season, could end up being a big part of that moving forward. He averaged 11.6 points and six rebounds per game in Euro Cup and Italian League play, and helped his team reach the playoffs.

Prior to his time in Italy, Maye played a season for the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G-League. He averaged 10.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34 appearances (15 starts) during the 2019-20 season. He logged 23.1 minutes per game, and shot better than 35 percent from three-point range.

Maye graduated from North Carolina after a terrific four-year run that saw him go from unknown walk-on to celebrated starter. His play helped the Tar Heels’ win the 2017 NCAA Tournament championship — most notably the gutsy game-winner that he hit to beat the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight. The following season he was a first team All-ACC selection, and named third team All-American by the Associated Press and Sporting News.

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