Lucas: Styles Living His Dream

By Adam Lucas

Dontrez Styles tried to play it cool when Roy Williams offered him a University of North Carolina basketball scholarship in mid-March of 2020. The Kinston, N.C., product didn't commit right away. He thanked the Hall of Fame head coach for the offer. He hung up the phone. And then…

"I started yelling, I was so excited," Styles says. "I called my trainer, Curtis Hines, because he's been with me every step of the way. I called my high school coach, Perry Tyndall, and we celebrated."

So, did you commit to the Tar Heels right away?

"No, sir. I pretended like I had to think about it. But I knew once he offered me, I was coming."

And now you have a very good idea of what it's like to have a conversation with Dontrez Styles. Every answer will begin with, "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," doubtless pleasing his parents, Donald Swinson and Sharon Styles. Most every answer will in some way convey how thrilled he is to be a part of the Carolina basketball program after growing up in a household of lifelong Tar Heels. And there will be multiple references to the importance his hometown, Kinston, had on his basketball development and life outlook.

Please be aware, however, that Styles does have a significant skeleton in his Tar Heel closet.

"My parents are huge Carolina basketball fans," he says. "I caught on around my sixth grade year. I was Reggie Bullock (shooting in his driveway). I love Brandon Ingram. Even though he went to Duke, I still love him."

Hometown ties run deep in Kinston. But since Bullock was a three-year Tar Heel and Ingram just stopped in Durham for one, we'll allow it. And Styles has big dreams of being the next Kinston product to follow their path of basketball success.

"I wanted to be just like those guys," he says. "That's the reason I went to Kinston High School, because of Reggie Bullock and Brandon Ingram. That motivated me a lot and got me to where I am today."

Where he is today is a freshman on a Carolina team that—thanks to the coaching staff's success in the transfer portal—has improved the depth over last season. Bullock didn't start a game as a freshman and even his trademark three-point percentage (29.6 percent) wasn't what we think of now as being Bullock-esque.

Styles knows he has work to do before making the same jump Bullock did during his Carolina career. But he already possesses the key intangible that seems to be integral in every Kinston product.

"I'm going to play hard," he says, echoing the feedback multiple Tar Heel professionals have provided about him after competing against him in pickup this summer. "I can play every position, and I can make plays. I can basically do everything on the court."

Which, of course, gives him a better chance at earning playing time. There will be a game this year when Carolina needs an athletic defender on the wing. And there will be a time that Carolina needs a player unafraid to slash to the rim to create a scoring opportunity. Styles has consistently shown his willingness to do both those things, whether lining up against a Tar Heel upperclassman or a multiple-year pro.

With Late Night just one day away, Styles hasn't lost his wonder at being a part of the program he's idolized from afar. His eyes still go wide when he talks about the magic of photo day and seeing a Carolina jersey with his name and number on the back. He still sneaks a look at the banners and jerseys in the rafters every time he walks into the Smith Center.

"I grew up watching Carolina on TV and hoping that would be me one day," he says. "Now I'm playing on the same court as them. It's a blessing every day. Thinking about that motivates me, and it's a dream come true."

Players Mentioned

Dontrez Styles

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