Dawson Garcia, a highly sought-after transfer who played last season at Marquette, has announced he will continue his college basketball career at North Carolina.

Garcia averaged 13 points per game for the Golden Eagles as a freshman last season, also adding 6.6 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the floor, including 35.6 percent from three-point range. He was named to the Big East All-Freshman team, and in Marquette’s 83-70 victory at UNC in February, Garcia scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

At 6-foot-11and 235 pounds, Garcia entered the transfer portal June 25 while also keeping is name in the NBA draft, but he wasn't projected to get selected, so he removed his name from the deraft Tuesday after a week earlier beginning the process of looking for a new school. Upon entering the portal, Garcia wrote on Twitter, "As I continue with that process, I will also be entering my name in the NCAA transfer portal in an effort to research all of my options moving forward, including a potential return to Marquette."

Garcia immediately hit the recruiting trail visiting Illinois over the weekend and was then at UNC on July 1 for an official visit. He also visited Arizona. Multiple sources confirmed to THI that UNC, Illinois, and Arizona were the three schools on which he was focused, but it came down to the Fighting Illini and Tar Heels.

Former UNC Coach Roy Williams recruited Garcia, offering him a scholarship June 24, 2019. Garcia and his family were intrigued by Carolina at the time.

“It’s just a great school,” he told THI. “Fanbase is next to none.”

Originally from Savage, MN, Garcia attended Prior Lake High School. He was rated the No. 43 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2020, including No. 5 at his position.

Garcia is the third players UNC has brought in from the transfer portal since Hubert Davis took over for Williams in April. He joins Brady Manek, a super senior stretch four who is the 14th all-time leading scorer in Oklahoma history, and 6-foot-8 Justin McKoy, who spent two seasons at Virginia.

“Dawson Garcia is a grand slam for Hubert Davis, and his commitment gets the nation’s attention about how he is recruiting in Chapel Hill. Garcia is an All-ACC candidate from day one and brings around 15 points and 8 rebounds per game next season. He also is the perfect fit for the stretch four that Davis wants to implement.”