Insight into Styles

Once a hotly pursued four-star recruit out of one of the most proven, tight-knit basketball breeding grounds in the world in Kinston, North Carolina, Dontrez Styles had a memorable career at Kinston HS. He averaged 18.6 points as a polished, smooth, an innate scorer with significant elevation on his shot and a knack for embracing contact. As he catapulted into the upper percentile of the top recruits in the country, he wound up committing to North Carolina

Despite the high expectations and hype which enveloped his commitment, Styles did not have the same success as Kinston natives such as Reggie Bullock and Jerry Stackhouse did previously with the Tar Heels. Once a versatile and high motored prospect, Styles fell out of favor this past season with UNC, averaging under six minutes of playing time and mustering a meager 1.4 points.

The Tar Heels also faltered this past season, losing five of six games during the stretch run and failing to garner a berth in the NCAA tournament. All was not happy on Tobacco Road.

In deciding to hit the reset button, Styles has transferred to Georgetown and play for Hoyas new head coach Ed Cooley. Similar to previous commits Drew Fielder of Southern California Academy and Worcester Academy guard Kayvaugn Mulready (both of whom were committed to Cooley at Providence and then flipped their commitments once the coach was hired at Georgetown), Styles expressed a strong connection with Cooley and a trust in his system as major influential factors in his decision.

UNC has experienced a mini-exodus of its own amid the transfer craze this off-season. Shortly after announcing he was entering the transfer portal, Caleb Love announced his was committing to Michigan on April 7. Love played a significant role for the Tar Heels last season, averaging 16.7 points to go with four boards and three assists. As a sophomore, Love was a pivotal factor in the Tar Heels trip to the 2022-23 Final Four, as he averaged 16 points and four assists. Love was one of the first people to congratulate his former teammate and friend on his commitment to Georgetown.

In Styles, the Hoyas are getting a bullish 6-7 guard with unique positional size and mismatch capabilities. He is also a consistent presence on the glass, a notable aspect of his game his freshman year at UNC. Styles is a downhill scoring threat who can also step outside and shoot the 3-pointer.

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