Joel Berry II facts for kids
Berry with the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | April 1, 1995 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
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| High school | Lake Highland Preparatory (Orlando, Florida) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College | North Carolina (2014–2018) | ||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Undrafted | ||||||||||
| Pro career | 2018–2021 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | South Bay Lakers | ||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Greensboro Swarm | ||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Beşiktaş | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Medals
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Joel DeWayne Berry II (born April 1, 1995) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He was a star player for the North Carolina Tar Heels college team. He helped them win the national championship in 2017. After college, Joel played basketball professionally for three years before he stopped playing in 2021.
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High School Basketball Star
Joel Berry II played high school basketball at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida. He was a point guard, which is a player who leads the team's offense. Joel was 6 feet tall. He led his team to win two state championships. He was also the first player ever to be named Florida Mr. Basketball three times! This award goes to the best high school basketball player in Florida.
In his senior year (2014), Joel was recognized as one of the best high school players in the country. He was named a Parade All-American and a McDonald's All-American. This means he was chosen to play in a special game with other top high school players.
College Basketball Journey
Freshman Year (2014–15)
When Joel started college at North Carolina, he had some injuries. He played as a backup point guard. He averaged about 4 points and 1.5 assists per game.
Sophomore Year (2015–16)
In his second year, Joel became the main starting point guard for his team. This meant he played a lot more and scored more points. He helped the Tar Heels win the regular season title in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The ACC is a big group of college sports teams.
Joel also helped his team win the ACC tournament. He played so well, averaging 17 points per game, that he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. His team then made it to the Final Four and the championship game of the NCAA tournament. Even though Joel scored 20 points in the championship game, North Carolina lost a very close game to Villanova.
Junior Year: National Champion (2016–17)
As a junior, Joel led the Tar Heels to win the ACC regular season title again. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, even with injuries to both of his ankles, Joel led his team to win the 2017 NCAA men's basketball championship!
In the championship game against Gonzaga, Joel scored 22 points and had 6 assists. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. This means he was the best player in the final games of the tournament. He was the first player since Bill Walton to score 20 points or more in two championship games in a row. After this amazing season, Joel thought about joining the 2017 NBA draft to play professionally, but he decided to stay at North Carolina for his senior year.
Senior Year (2017–18)
In his final year at North Carolina, Joel led the Tar Heels to the ACC tournament final. They lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Joel averaged 17.1 points and 3.2 assists per game that season. He also made 93 three-pointers.
He received the Dean Smith Most Valuable Player award for his team. He was also one of the top eight finalists for the James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the best amateur athlete in the United States. Joel was also named a third-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC player.
Professional Basketball Career
South Bay Lakers (2018–2019)
After college, Joel was not chosen in the 2018 NBA draft. However, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team. This is a special team where new players can show their skills. The Lakers then signed him to a contract. But on October 8, 2018, they decided to let him go. He then joined the South Bay Lakers, which is a team in the NBA G League. The G League is like a development league for the NBA. Joel had a season-ending injury in March 2019.
Greensboro Swarm (2019–2020)
In September 2019, the Greensboro Swarm team got Joel's player rights in a trade. The Swarm is connected to the Charlotte Hornets NBA team. On March 6, 2020, Joel had his best game ever as a professional player. He scored 44 points in a game against the Erie Bayhawks.
Beşiktaş (2020–2021)
On November 24, 2020, Joel signed with Beşiktaş, a basketball team in Turkey. He played in the Basketball Super League (BSL) there. In August 2021, Joel was added to the Charlotte Hornets Summer League team. However, on August 24, 2021, Joel announced that he was retiring from playing professional basketball.
Life After Playing Basketball
After retiring from playing, Joel Berry II joined ACC Network on October 12, 2021. He became a studio analyst for college basketball. This means he talks about games and players on TV.
See also
In Spanish: Joel Berry para niños
