When Hubert Davis was fired as the head coach of the UNC basketball program, change was certainly bound to happen.
From the coaching staff to the roster itself, no one should've went into this process thinking everyone would remain status quo aside from the head coach spot.
The first domino fell on Sunday night, as freshman guard Isaiah Denis announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.
Isaiah Denis is entering the transfer portal
On his Instagram account, Denis shared a message informing the world that he is entering his name into the transfer portal when the official window opens on April 7. While he will be taking the opportunity to explore his options, he mentions in his post that he is not ruling out a return to North Carolina for his sophomore season.
Denis was viewed as a long-term project for UNC, given he missed an extended amount of time during his high school senior season due to injury. The injury led him to miss time during training camp as well, an important time for freshmen to acclimate a bit to the collegiate level.
Overall, Denis, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, was limited to just 10 games played and a total of 34 minutes of action, most of which came in mop up duty.
Fans clamored for more of Denis throughout the season, as the potential he showcased throughout his high school career gave Tar Heels fans hope that he could be a legitimate backcourt option for years to come. However, the 6-foot-5 guard couldn't find his way into earning more minutes, as he ultimately use the next few weeks to determine if there's a clearer path for playing time for him.
North Carolina's coaching situation also impacted this decision, given Denis likely would've returned if Hubert Davis was still at the helm. Denis made it clear in his post that the coaching change had an impact on his decision, as it was likely that Denis and the Tar Heels old coaching staff had a mapped out plan in place to work him deeper into the rotation over time.
Now, Denis will wait and see who will be UNC's next head coach (just like the rest of us), but isn't wasting any time exploring his other options in the meantime.