THI’s annual series taking a look at the Tar Heels returning for next season is back. It must be noted that North Carolina has two class of 2021 freshmen on campus now having enrolled in June.

Next season will also be the first for Hubert Davis at the helm of the Tar Heels.

Today, we look at sophomore wing Puff Johnson:

Puff Johnson’s freshman season ended after just 14 games and 58 minutes played, so there is not a lot to go on when gauging how he performed. There are those 58 minutes, though, and there were some things one could glean from seeing the 6-foot-8 wing, and younger brother of former Tar Heel Cam Johnson, in action.

First of all, Puff scored 15 points to finish with a 1.1 scoring average. He was 6-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-9 from three-point range. In addition, Johnson grabbed seven rebounds, had one assist versus two turnovers, and registered a steal and blocked shot.

He scored in seven games, getting two points six times and netting three in the opener versus College of Charleston. His high game for minutes played was nine in a 66-65 win over Notre Dame at home on Jan. 2. Johnson then played just 10 minutes over Carolina’s next four games before injuring a toe on his right foot in practice on Jan. 22.

He wore a boot on the bench in games for about five weeks, but still didn’t return to action even after it came off.

So, what kind of player was Johnson in his limited time and what can UNC fans expect moving forward?

Rangy and long, for starters. The lefthander has a nice looking stroke, though he didn’t shoot it well. He appeared rushed at times and as if was not really ready for the speed and length of the game, especially with UNC playing such a demanding early schedule. Lacking some confidence with young players is often reflected in how he appeared on the floor.

But when he went down with the injury, the timetable for his return was originally uncertain, though it did give then-coach Roy Williams a chance to talk about Johnson the week of UNC’s game at Pittsburgh, which was Jan. 26.

“Puff has done well, and he’s gotten better and better and he’s going to be a really, really good player for us long term,” Williams said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be this year, but he’s going to be a really, really good player. His older brother, Cam, was what you’d call a late developer, late bloomer, and who knows if Puff is going to do that at that level. And he may develop even quicker than Cam did.”

Cam had two offers coming out of high school from Iona and Pittsburgh, and Pitt was somewhat of a legacy offer since his father, Gil, played for the Panthers and the family is from Moon Township, which is in the Pittsburgh metro area. Cam played a few games as a freshman before an injury forced a redshirt.

He spent two more seasons with the Panthers improving each year before transferring to Carolina after earning his degree. He is currently in his second season in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.

Puff was much more highly regarded coming out of high school. A 4-star prospect and the No. 64 overall player nationally in the class of 2020, he chose UNC over offers from Arizona, Louisville, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State, and Cincinnati among many others.

So, if Williams is right about Puff’s trajectory, Hubert Davis could have a quality, developing player on his hands who could still have four more seasons in Chapel Hill since every player gets last season back and Johnson saw such limited action.

Since little is known about Johnson, there are many things for people to pick at. Those who saw Cam and Puff play in high school have long said Puff was well ahead of his older brother, so if that’s still the case, expect Johnson to factor in UNC’s rotation next season, and in time he could blossom into a terrific player. But first things first.

This is difficult because, again, we just did not get to see much of him in action. He did appear to have a nice feel for the game, but he needs more time and certainly could use a full offseason in Chapel Hill with the pros playing for a month or more. He must get stronger and build some confidence. Those should be the goals and is the projection. We just do not know enough to go any further than that at this time.