UNC Basketball 2021-2022 Player Preview: Dawson Garcia

Our UNC basketball player previews continue with former Marquette basketball forward Dawson Garcia.

D’Marco Dunn | Dontrez Styles | Creighton Lebo | Puff Johnson

This off-season has been an emotional rollercoaster for many UNC fans, but one of the enjoyable parts of the ride was when Carolina landed Marquette freshman Dawson Garcia. Garcia contemplated exchanging his Marquette jersey for an NBA one but ultimately ended up taking his name out of the NBA draft to throw on the Carolina blue.

Garcia saw his draft stock go up and down as he appeared on many mocks to land in the second round to the Philadelphia 76ers. After withdrawing his name from the NBA draft, Garcia was heavily sought after but chose UNC over programs like Illinois and Arizona. The beautiful thing about Garcia’s journey so far is there’s no telling how high of a ceiling he has, and he holds the ability to be the glue that sticks this team together late into the season.

Season Review 2020-21

Garcia led freshmen in the Big East in scoring and rebounding as he was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. At 6 foot 11, Garcia wreaked havoc in the paint averaging 13 points on 48% shooting from the field and 6.6 rebounds per game. Garcia’s best game last season ironically came against UNC, where he dropped 24 points on an efficient 69% shooting and 11 rebounds.

Last season wasn’t the first time Garcia made an impact on a big stage, as in 2019, he was the 2019 FIBA MVP as he led Team USA to the Men’s 3X3 World Cup gold medal. These accolades alone should give UNC fans a lot of hope for this upcoming, however, many may still wonder one thing.

How does Garcia fit into UNC’s plans this season?

What To Expect In 2021-22

It’s never easy losing a leader like Garrison Brooks and ultra-talented Walker Kessler to the transfer portal, however, seeing Day’Ron Sharpe leave for the NBA made rebuilding what was once a stacked position even more crucial. That’s where Garcia comes in with valuable playing experience, but also fits the mold of what UNC basketball stands for. The style Roy Williams coached that Davis plans to keep should showcase Garcia’s rebounding and finishing ability sticking true to the big men nature UNC goes after.

Garcia’s impact should be felt right away with his name in the mix to start next to Armando Bacot, but even if he does come off the bench for Brady Manek the playing time will still equal out. Expect Davis to use Garcia in late-game situations and to be the spark that ignites UNC during rough in-game stretches.

Bold Prediction

Only 20 years old with much room to grow, I predict a 12 point, nine-rebound season to go along with many Atlantic Coastal Conference accolades like making one of the All-ACC teams. The combination of Bacot and Garcia is too big to fail, and playing at UNC will only offer more eyes on the talented Marquette stand out.

To keep it simple, Garcia saw his name as a possible second-round draft pick before joining UNC. After this season, those mock drafts should see his name in the first round without a second thought.

Be sure to check back with Keeping It Heel as we continue our player previews on the UNC basketball team.