Give James Brown a ton of credit.
Why? Well, it's simple:
In the current landscape of college athletics, it's very easy for a student-athlete to pick up and go elsewhere when things aren't going their way. While the majority of his teammates from a season ago are elsewhere, Brown, a player who saw minimal action as a freshman, got into the lab, working on his body and his skills in hopes of developing a bigger role.
This offseason, the Aurora, Illinois native added 25 pounds of muscle to his build, putting his measurements at 6-foot-10, 240-pounds. Tar Heel fans will remember that star big man Armando Bacot played with nearly the same measurements during his time in Chapel Hill, as the hope is that this body transformation will help Brown grow as a player.
No, we aren't looking for Brown to replicate Bacot's career in Carolina Blue. However, we all would be thrilled to see him develop into a strong front court presence for the Tar Heels over the next few seasons.
During his time at North Carolina
Brown played in 18 games as a true freshman a season ago, scoring a total of 21 points to go along with 15 rebounds. Eight of those 15 rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor, showing how relentless of a rebounder he could be.
What to Expect in 2025-2026
The UNC basketball program vowed to add size this offseason. In an effort to avoid having to play small as they did a season ago, Hubert Davis and his staff lured some size and versatility to Chapel Hill.
For Brown, this makes the situation a bit tricky, because we don't know what his role will be. It's expected that Brown will compete with Zayden High for minutes off the bench, but it's very possible that a sophomore leap for Brown could lead to him securing a role as the backup center for this year's team.
If you can rebound and go all-out when you get your opportunities, you will gain Hubert Davis' trust. Hustle and effort are two areas Brown strives in, as he is a guy who can relieve the starters for a breather or during instances where foul trouble is impacting the team.
Bold Prediction
Brown's going to play a bigger role than most people expect him to.
After averaging 2.9 minutes per-game a season ago, don't be stunned if Brown sees an average of 7 to 10 minutes of game action on a regular basis.
With a lot of depth, Hubert Davis has options to work with, as he will certainly use the early portion of the season to test just how deep his rotation can go.
Our bold prediction: Brown will finish the season as a top-five rebounder on this year's team.