The UNC basketball program's starting backcourt is going to look a lot different next season.
With RJ Davis exhausting his eligibility, the Tar Heels were already needing to fill a spot in the backcourt. Now, make that two, as Elliot Cadeau has entered his name in the transfer portal.
BREAKING: UNC guard Elliot Cadeau ahs entered the transfer portal, per a @247Sports source.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) March 25, 2025
Former five-star recruit. pic.twitter.com/pIhtZ8KKZm
Cadeau spent his first two college seasons in Chapel Hill, starting 68 of his 74 games played with the Tar Heels. He's a player who has shown flashes of excellence but has also faced some really tough struggles, as the up and down roller coaster seemed to be the storyline of his time with the UNC basketball program.
During his freshman season, Cadeau struggled shooting the basketball, especially from beyond the three-point line. Teams would sag away from defending him, forcing him to take open looks, as he shot just 18.9% from beyond the arc throughout the season. In fact, it forced Hubert Davis' hand down the stretch, especially in postseason action, as Cadeau was essentially unplayable due to the fact that teams were forcing him to beat them while focusing their attention on the likes of RJ Davis, Armando Bacot and others.
Before his sophomore season began, Davis raved about Cadeau, indicating that we'd all see a whole new version of him for his sophomore season. His numbers, overall, did increase, especially his three-point shooting (as he knocked down 33.7% of his attempts), but turnovers became a massive problem for the West Orange, New Jersey native.
In fact, Cadeau nearly doubled the amount of turnovers in his second season on campus. After coughing the ball up just 67 times as a freshman, he turned it over a staggering 113 times during the 2024-2025 season, as he often tried to, as Davis says often, "hit a home run instead of hitting singles."
While most fans hoped that Cadeau would return for his junior season, it appears that he is ready for a change of scenery. His departure adds another question mark to next year's roster, as there's not a primary ball-handler with collegiate experience among the remaining Tar Heels.
Add another item on Jim Tanner's "To Do List" for this offseason.