UNC Basketball 2022-23 Roster Summer Preview Series: Justin McKoy

Next up on the 2022-23 UNC Basketball roster summer preview series, we discuss rising senior forward Justin McKoy.

The 2022-23 UNC Basketball roster summer preview series is in the home stretch as we turn our attention to the seniors, starting today with Justin McKoy. If you didn’t catch our RJ Davis or Caleb Love preview, make sure you go back and read those and watch or listen to the Locked On Tar Heels preview of them!

McKoy is a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Raleigh, North Carolina. This will be his second season in a Tar Heel uniform, having played his first two years for Tony Bennett at Virginia.

In transferring to UNC for the 2021-22 season, McKoy was part of the first iteration of the NCAA’s brand new one-time transfer rule, allowing any student-athlete to transfer once and play immediately. He was part of a three-person transfer class for Hubert Davis in his first season as head coach of the Tar Heels, along with Brady Manek (Oklahoma) and Dawson Garcia (Marquette).

In his second season at Carolina, McKoy once again projects to play limited backup minutes. He will certainly be behind the starting five of RJ Davis, Caleb Love, Leaky Black, Pete Nance, and Armando Bacot. McKoy will likely battle Puff Johnson, Dontrez Styles, and Jalen Washington for minutes. I project him to be ninth or tenth on the depth chart, depending on how quickly Washington bounces back from his high school injuries.

Last season for the Tar Heels, McKoy played in 30 games, averaging 7.0 minutes, 1.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, while shooting 22.2% on field goals, 23.1% from three, and 80.0% from the free throw line. The shooting percentages are all skewed due to small sample sizes. McKoy had 36 total shot attempts, 13 three-point attempts, and 15 free throw attempts.

For better context, in his two years at Virginia, McKoy averaged 9.6 minutes, 2.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists, while shooting 46.5% from the floor, 33.3% from three, and 75.0% from the free throw line.

While I don’t expect McKoy’s minutes to jump much, I do expect his shooting numbers to obey the law of averages and return to his Virginia-era levels. Coach Hubert Davis went and got this young man for a reason, and more shots will fall this season. If indeed his shot does go down with more consistency, we very well could see McKoy earn more minutes from his head coach.

The greatest asset McKoy will bring is quite simply the person that he is. This young man is a dedicated teammate, has a high-level basketball IQ, and someone who will do anything asked of him by the coaching staff to help the team grow.

One thing to keep tabs on following the 2022-23 season: Will McKoy take advantage of the opportunity to come back for a fifth season? He would play a pivotal role in bringing experience and knowledge to the locker room. Depending upon other recruits and transfers, the 2023-24 season could provide more of an opportunity for playing time in the front court.

Make sure to check out the Locked On Tar Heels preview of Justin McKoy with myself and Coach Pac Kilby:

Bio

Name: Justin McKoy
What year in upcoming season: Senior
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 220
Jersey #: 22
Twitter handle: @justintmckoy
Instagram handle: justinmckoy4

2021-22 Stats:

• Games Played: 30
• Games Started: 0
• Minutes: 7.1
• Points: 1.0
• Rebounds: 1.4
• Assists: 14 total
• Turnovers: 13 total
• Steals: 3 total
• Blocks: 3 total
• FG: 8-36
• FG%: 22.2
• 3FG: 3-12
• 3FG%: 25.0
• FT: 12-15
• FT%: 80.0

Single game Season/Career Highs (UNC only):

• Minutes: 18 (vs. GT)
• Points: 5 (UVA; ACC T)
• Rebounds: 5 (UVA; ACC T)
• Assists: 3 (2x)
• Turnovers: 3 (Baylor; NCAA T)
• Steals: 1 (3x)
• Blocks: 1 (3x)
• FG: 2 (UVA; ACC T)
• 3FG: 1 (3x)
• FT: 2 (multiple times)

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