Ex-UNC Guard Elliot Cadeau Gets Questionable Top-15 Ranking Entering Season

Former North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau finds himself in a very good position at the University of Michigan. Cadeau, a former New Jersey standout, played his first two seasons at North Carolina. 

He arrived as a five-star recruit, with many hoping he would be one of the best players in college basketball. 

He wasn't bad, averaging 9.4 points in his second year for the Tar Heels, but he also had turnover issues, was a pretty average 3-point shooter that year, and ultimately never lived up to the hype North Carolina hoped for. 

Now, with a loaded Michigan team that won a national title a year ago, he proved to everyone what he could be if he had developed into the player we hoped for with the Tar Heels. Cadeau played in 40 games and started all 40, averaging 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. 

He was also a much better shooter, shooting 37.6% from 3-point range on nearly double the attempts that he had the year prior, with 4.3 per game. He shot 41.1% from the field and fit in perfectly with what Michigan was trying to do.

Now, as a senior, there's reason to believe his impact will be even bigger than it was a year ago for a Michigan team looking to go back-to-back. 

That's why The Athletic recently named him the No. 13 best player in college basketball entering the season.

“The Final Four MOP posted similar numbers his first year at Michigan to his final year at North Carolina, but he was more efficient and played with more confidence. At UNC, defenders could sag off him at the 3-point line. That’s no longer the case after he made 65 3s at a 37.6 percent clip. Cadeau is one of the best setup men in the sport and can deliver in big moments,” CJ Moore wrote.

It's tough to label Cadeau because he's certainly benefiting from how talented Michigan's roster is. 

However, North Carolina also had a boatload of talent during his time in the program, so you can't necessarily blame his struggles with the Tar Heels on that. 

As for how he'll look this season, I'd push back on him being the No. 13-ranked player in college basketball. Michigan is ultra-talented, and I can see a situation in which it wins a national title again, and he's a big piece of it. 

If that happens again, it would be tough to argue he's not one of the best 15 players in the country.