Jae'Lyn Withers signs a professional basketball contract with the Heroes Den Bosch

There's more basketball to be played for former UNC basketball player Jae'Lyn Withers.

The former Tar Heel has signed a deal to begin his professional basketball career overseas. His first stop with take him to the Netherlands, as he'll join the Heroes Den Bosch of the BNXT League.

His new head coach, Erik Braal, had some insight from one of Withers' former teammates at Louisville, information that helped lead to the signing:

"Jae'Lyn is an athletic forward who plays with energy. We received a lot of good information about him from Samuell Williamson, a former teammate at Louisville. He is a versatile team player, comes from a good program, and will provide our team with new impetus at the inside positions, both defensively and offensively."

Sinan Guler, the Technical Director of Heroes Den Bosch, cited a personal connection to Withers' family that makes this deal even more special for him:

"Besides his talent, there's also a special personal connection that makes this signing extra special. During the recruiting process, I discovered through Coach Erik Braal that I played against Jae'Lyn's father, Curtis Withers, in the 2007-2008 season. It's a wonderful, full-circle moment that adds an extra layer of meaning to this new chapter."

Withers had some good moments during his time with the UNC basketball program, as his emergence into the starting lineup late during the 2024-2025 season helped play a pivotal role in the team's success down the stretch.

Now, Withers will take his talents overseas, joining another former Tar Heel on Heroes Den Bosch's roster. Just a day before Withers signed, the club agreed to a deal with Kerwin Walton, a player who spent the early portion of his college career at North Carolina before hitting the transfer portal.

Withers will provide size, athleticism and shooting ability for his new team, traits that helped him carve out a role for the UNC basketball program. The hope is that this is the start of a long, successful professional basketball career for him.