joel berry ii

Joel Berry II, born on April 1, 1995, in Apopka, Florida, established himself as a prominent basketball player from a young age. He attended Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, where he led his team to two state titles and was the first player to win the Florida Mr. Basketball award three times. Recognized for his talent, Berry was named a Parade All-American and McDonald’s All-American in 2014, marking him as a top prospect in high school basketball. His early achievements set the stage for a collegiate career at the University of North Carolina.

Berry’s collegiate journey with the North Carolina Tar Heels began in 2014. After a freshman season affected by injury, he became a starter in his sophomore year (2015-16), leading the team in assists, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. He was instrumental in securing an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title and an ACC tournament championship, where he earned MVP honors. His sophomore year culminated in a run to the 2016 NCAA championship game. In his junior year (2016-17), despite playing through ankle injuries, Berry was a key figure in the Tar Heels’ victory over Gonzaga in the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, scoring 22 points and earning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award. He is notably one of only seven players to score 20 or more points in consecutive national championship games, and the only Tar Heel to earn All-Final Four honors in two seasons. His jersey No. 2 is honored in the Smith Center rafters.

Following his decorated college career, Berry pursued professional basketball. After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League team and later played for their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers (2018-2019). He then joined the Greensboro Swarm (2019-2020) and spent a season with Beşiktaş in the Turkish Basketball Super League (2020-2021). In August 2021, Berry announced his retirement from professional basketball. He subsequently joined the ACC Network as a college basketball studio analyst in October 2021, contributing to shows such as *Nothing but Net* and providing insights into the sport.