The expansion Akita Northern Happinets have bolstered their lineup by adding former North Carolina guard/forward Will Graves, the team announced on Thursday evening.
Graves played for the Tar Heels' 2009 NCAA Division I championship squad. A 198-cm, 106-kg athlete, Graves turns 23 in May.
UNC dropped Graves, then a senior, from the program last fall for personal issues, though coach Roy Williams and the university did not release details to the media.
Graves averaged 9.8 points, third-best on the squad, in the 2009-10 season, while appearing in 36 games (33 starts). He is eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft in June.