Duke basketball legend Jay Williams says he would transfer to rival North Carolina in portal era

Former Duke basketball star Jay Williams raised eyebrows Tuesday night when he told Jon Sciambi that he’d transfer to rival North Carolina if he was currently playing college basketball. The two were calling Kansas’ win over Oklahoma State, and Sciambi asked the Duke basketball legend “If the transfer portal were open, where would you have gone?”

“Back then, I would have gone to Georgetown, and I would have played for John Thompson,” Williams said. “If you’re asking me today… This is a tough one. I don’t know if I will be allowed to go back home. I just like the way [UNC] plays. It’s a fast-paced style of play. I like it. They allow RJ Davis to go. I just got back into The Brotherhood; now I feel like I am going to be out.”

This wasn’t the first time Williams praised Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels this season. Last week, he said UNC had a championship-caliber team.

“There was obviously something going on last year with Caleb Love,” Williams said on the David Glenn Show. “When he’s not on the floor, now you see this is RJ Davis and Armando Bacot’s team. They’ve been getting back to rebounding and defense, too. That’s a team that can win a (championship).”

Williams starred at Duke from 1999-2002. He helped the Blue Devils win the national championship in 2001 and was named NABC Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. During his collegiate days, Williams revealed he grew up a UNC fan and considered the Tar Heels out of high school until they signed Ronald Curry the class before him.

Duke MBB Great Jay Williams Says He'd Go to UNC in Transfer Portal Today and Fans Went Off

When I was little [I pulled for UNC],” Williams said in 2002. “I talked to them but just decided not to go there.”

Recruiting expert Bob Gibbons explained how Williams’ recruitment unfolded under Bill Guthridge.

“Like Dean Smith’s program always did, they were always very honest that they never wanted to over-recruit or mislead players,” Gibbons said. “They said, ‘We have Ronald Curry, and we expect him to be our point guard. If you come here, you’ll be primarily a two-guard.’ That turned [Jay] off because he envisioned himself at point guard.”

UNC ascended to No. 4 in the AP Poll this week, its highest ranking in January or later since the 2018-19 season. The Tar Heels’ vaunted transfer class has been key to the team’s renaissance this season, with graduate Cormac Ryan revealing the team shares a “rare” bond.

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“We have a naturally cohesive group,” Ryan said. “That’s a credit to Coach Davis and the way he recruited high school and the transfer portal. We love to hang out with each other, on and off the court. If we’re going to go to a meal, we’re going together. That’s rare. That’s a big strength for us. That just carries over to the court. There’s no direct correlation. There’s a genuine chemistry. Good dialogue.”