Lucas: Revitalized Ingram Ready For Impact

🎥: THE INTRO: Harrison Ingram#CarolinaFamily | @Harrisoniingram pic.twitter.com/lVNTfT397T
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) October 31, 2023

By Adam Lucas

Harrison Ingram was one of the last of Carolina's transfer class to arrive in Chapel Hill this summer, but one of the first to notice some of the assets that make being a Tar Heel unique.

Ingram's arrival was delayed because of Stanford's different academic calendar. That dropped him onto campus during the annual Carolina Basketball Camp.

"The former players coming back and the family atmosphere is the number one thing to me," Ingram said. "I got here three weeks behind the next to last person, so the current team already knew each other. But when I got here, I felt like I knew people right away. There were former players playing pickup games with us at 12 a.m. I got here and I was in the gym playing pickup with Harrison Barnes and Cole Anthony. Having all those guys come back is something I hadn't experienced before."

During the camp game a few days later, Ingram found himself consistently matched up with Barnes, a player with a similar name, game, and appreciation for the non-basketball side of being a Tar Heel. Their connection was obvious.

But Ingram has made a point to soak up advice from even alumni who don't necessarily have an obvious correlation. One of those is Tyler Zeller, who has been a regular at Tar Heel practice during the preseason.

"He's a big guy who has a different view of the game," Ingram said. "But he tells me little things like screening angles or when to cut to make it an easier bucket."

Ingram has a big appreciation for those smaller details. He places a high value on finding multiple ways to contribute to a win, both on and off the court. In the box score, you'll find him trying to fill every category. And in the locker room, he's the player who will go out of his way to make sure everyone is included.

Cormac Ryan tweaked his ankle during Friday night's exhibition win over Saint Augustine's. Ingram was the first player to check on him in the locker room after the game. "You OK?" Ingram queried before discussing anything about the actual game. This week, when he walked into the Carolina players' lounge, he made certain to spend some time with freshman Elliot Cadeau before he began his usual pre-practice routine.

"I know how it was being a freshman," Ingram said. "Both of our freshmen (Cadeau and Zayden High) are far away from home. I know how that is, because I'm a transfer. Being new is nerve-wracking in general."

Ingram has been far away from his home in Dallas for his entire college career. He started at Stanford, spending two years playing for former Tar Heel assistant Jerod Haase, winning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in his first season and becoming one of just seven players to average at least 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists during his sophomore campaign.

He shot 31.9 percent on three-point shots last season but is quick to note he feels that average can increase with his team being less reliant on him to take off-balance, rushed, end of shot clock jumpers. As befits a player with his cerebral approach, he goes deeper into the numbers and cites his 40 percent conversion rate on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. "Having amazing point guards like RJ and Elliot and Seth, and amazing players in the post like Mondo, I'm getting way easier shots," he said. Indeed, Ingram hit two of his four three-pointers in the exhibition win on Friday.

In addition to the technical aspects of his game—he worked with a trainer this offseason to add height to his shot and make the release faster—Ingram has made some off-court changes that should benefit him as a Tar Heel. He's completely eliminated fried food from his diet, a change he made after noticing that his body felt better when he temporarily took a hiatus from fried food.

It's a complete lifestyle change that requires some planning—he quickly learned he needed to grab a sandwich from the Smith Center rather than rely on the usual Chapel Hill late-night spots for post-practice or post-game snacks and meals—but has had a tangible impact on his performance.

"I've lost a lot of weight since the summer," he said. "That will show on the court. I'm faster and quicker and more athletic during games. I've never had this much confidence in my game."

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Elliot Cadeau

Zayden High

Harrison Ingram

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