Michael Malone's toughest task is getting even harder with another portal entry

When Hubert Davis was relieved of his duties as the program's head coach, the world waited to see who would take over. The new regime, which we now know will be led by Michael Malone, will have to convince the current guys with eligibility remaining to stick around Chapel Hill for at least another season.

No one should be stunned by current Tar Heels entering the transfer portal. With the coaching changes occurring, the players have the right to explore their options, especially guys who might've been toying with the idea even prior to Hubert Davis' firing.

Another one of UNC's transfer imports from last offseason is testing his luck again, making his intentions known via social media.

Jonathan Powell enters the transfer portal

Shortly after multiple news outlets broke the news, Powell took to social media to announce his future plans. He spoke about his lone season in Chapel Hill, and noted that he will be entering the transfer portal while keeping a return to North Carolina as an option.

After serving primarily as a starter at West Virginia during his freshman season, Powell hit the portal and found a new landing spot at North Carolina. While he was a rotation regular, his minutes and role greatly diminished from what he had at West Virginia, as his usage (and production) took a dip as well.

In fact, Powell attempted 112 less shot attempts as a sophomore compared to his freshman season. However, his shooting percentages were nearly identical, showing his consistency from essentially anywhere on the floor.

As Michael Malone and the Tar Heels look to build next year's roster, Powell is a guy who certainly could factor into the mix. Of course, North Carolina will have to convince him to return and forgo other options that may be more lucrative (both financially and role wise), but the roster will be in a better spot if the new-look staff can convince him to be part of what's being built in Chapel Hill.

We will continue to provide all the latest news and offseason rumors surrounding the UNC basketball program in our transfer portal tracker.