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University of North Carolina Athletics
2019-20 Men's Basketball Roster
Justin Pierce
- Position:
- Forward
- Height:
- 6-7
- Weight:
- 210
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Glen Ellyn, Ill.
- High School:
- Glenbard West
Concluded his collegiate career with 1,139 points and 704 rebounds in 120 collegiate games at UNC and William & Mary • Scored in double figures 51 times Graduated in three years from William and Mary • Earned his degree with a double major in kinesiology and finance • Member of the Colonial Athletic Association’s Academic Honor Roll for each of his three years in Williamsburg • A third-team All-CAA player in 2017-18 and 2018-19 • Team captain as a junior • Played at W&M for head coach Tony Shaver and assistant coach Jonathan Holmes, who both played collegiately at UNC • Made 55 starts in 88 games and totaled 980 points, 576 rebounds and 205 assists • Averaged 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds (14.8 and 8.8 over his sophomore and junior seasons) • Made 98 threes and shot 34.5 percent from three-point range • Scored in double figures in 46 games with 20 or more points 15 times • Scored a career-high 33 points vs. Delaware on 2/10/18 and scored 30 against Elon on 2/1/18 • Pulled down 10 or more rebounds 18 times and had 16 double-doubles • Career-high 18 rebounds at James Madison on 3/2/19 • Grabbed 14 or more rebounds seven times • Compiled 23 games with multiple three-pointers (one as a freshman, nine as a sophomore and 13 as a junior) • Career-best six threes against Elon on 2/1/18 • Totaled 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists against Delaware in the 2019 CAA quarterfinals in his final game with the Tribe.
GRADUATE SEASON (2019-20)
Averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds • Scored in double figures five times (three times in ACC play) • Tied for third on the team in three-pointers (16) and was third in offensive boards (56) and fourth in total rebounds (128).
2019-20 Game Highlights: Four offensive rebounds, three steals and was a season-high plus-25 in the home win over NC State • Did not play at Louisville on 2/22 due to a sprained left ankle • Went 5 for 9 from the floor for 11 points at home against Duke • Nine points, five rebounds and four assists in win over Miami • Made his first start as a Tar Heel (and 56th overall) at Virginia Tech and had 15 points, his second highest output this season • Made three 3FGs, most since he had four at UNCW on Nov. 8 • Had 11 points and a season-high three assists vs. Georgia Tech and 14 points against Yale (had 10 points in the previous four games combined) • Was 6 for 11 from the floor against Yale and added seven rebounds – had three offensive boards that led to four points • Seven points and six rebounds at Gonzaga • Had seven rebounds against Gardner-Webb to surpass 600 for his career • Scored his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer (his 100th career 3FG) in the second half of the win at UNCW • Had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half against the Seahawks, helping UNC overcome a 5-0 deficit to build a 40-29 advantage • Finished the game at UNCW with 18 points and 12 boards (career-high six offensive rebounds), his 17th career double-double • Had seven rebounds in his Tar Heel debut against Notre Dame • Graduate student with one season of eligibility as a Tar Heel • Enrolled in UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School’s MBA program • Rated the No. 5 impact graduate transfer in the country by ESPN.com.
JUNIOR SEASON (2018-19)
Team captain • Earned third-team All-CAA honors for the second year in a row • Averaged 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34.3 minutes per game • Ranked third in the CAA in rebounding, fifth in assists, seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio, eighth in minutes and ninth in offensive rebounding • First CAA player to average at least 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists since 1992 • Had the highest rebound average by a Tribe player (8.9) since 1996 • Scored in double figures 21 times with a season-high 26 against Delaware • That was one of seven games he scored 20 or more • Grabbed 10 or more rebounds nine times (18 at James Madison, 15 vs. Hofstra, 14 vs. High Point) • Career-high 18 rebounds at JMU were the most by a Tribe player since 1996 • Handed out five or more assists 11 times, with a career-high nine against the College of Charleston • Had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in an overtime loss at UIC and 24 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a triple OT loss to Hofstra.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2017-18)
All-CAA third team • Started 30 of 31 games, averaging 14.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists • Tribe’s Most Improved Player • Scoring average increased by 11.0 points and rebounding average by 6.6 boards from his freshman to sophomore season • Scored in double figures 21 times with eight 20-point games and two 30-point games • Had nine games with 10 or more rebounds • Ranked fourth in the CAA in rebounding and defensive rebounds (6.6), fifth in double-doubles (seven), eighth in three-point percentage (.416) and offensive rebounding (2.0) and 10th in field goal percentage (.502) • His 267 total rebounds were the third most by a W&M player since 1973 • Scored a career-high 33 points vs. Delaware (2/10/18) • That came nine days after a 30-point, 12-rebound performance vs. Elon • Had 21 points, 17 boards, and five assists at Savannah State • Sixteen of his 17 rebounds at JMU came in the second half • Totaled 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists at Central Florida • Scored 27 points on 5 of 10 shooting from three-point range and had 14 rebounds at Towson • Scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half in an 84-81 win at UNCW • Posted a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double at Hofstra.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2016-17)
Averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 29 games • Averaged 10.7 minutes per game • Scored 17 points in his collegiate debut vs. Bridgewater • That was one of four games scoring in double figures (also 10 vs. Milligan, Hofstra and Towson) • Five or more rebounds three times and a season-best four assists vs. Savannah State • Made two of his seven three-pointers at Hofstra.
PREP
First-team all-state by the Chicago Sun Times and IBCA • Averaged 23.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in leading Glenbard West to a program-best 25-4 record, its first West Suburban Sliver Conference Championship in 43 years and first regional title since 2008 • Daily Herald Player of the Year and West Suburban Silver Conference Player of the Year in 2016 • Broke the school’s career scoring record with 1,440 points • Grabbed 587 rebounds • Selected to the 2016 IBCA All-Star Game • Set Glenbard West records for career points, single-season points, single-season rebounds, most three-pointers in a game, career threes and single-season free throws • Averaged 17.4 points, six rebounds and three assists per game as a junior when he earned honorable mention all-state honors • Two-time DuPage County All-Area and a two-time all-conference selection • Played AAU for Mercury Elite • Had a 4.9 grade point average (out of 5.0 scale) • Named to the Chicago Tribune’s Scholar-Athlete team.
PERSONAL
Born Justin Benjamin Pierce on July 6, 1998, in Glen Ellyn, Ill. • His father, Greg, played football at Northwestern • His mother, Stephanie, played volleyball for the Wildcats • One of three brothers • Alec is a sophomore starter at wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bearcats • Caden is a sophomore in high school and plays basketball and golf.
