Michael Malone isn’t giving minutes away at North Carolina, and Isaiah Denis is making sure he doesn’t have to.
Through the opening stretch of the 2026-2027 season, the sophomore guard has turned himself into one of the early bright spots for the Tar Heels. That was especially true Tuesday night against Wyoming, when Denis came off the bench and led UNC with 14 points. While the team is still sorting through some early-season growing pains, he’s starting to look like a real part of Malone’s rotation.
“Isaiah has earned his playing time,” Malone said. “You like to see young guys like Isaiah have success because they deserve it.”
That kind of praise says plenty about where Denis stands with his new head coach. It also underscores how far he’s come in a short time.
Denis had every reason to look elsewhere this offseason. After barely seeing the floor as a freshman, a fresh start would have made sense. Instead, he stayed in Chapel Hill, trusted the new staff, and came back with unfinished business.
Now he’s cashing in on that decision.
His showing against Wyoming was another sign that he can bring real offense off the bench. Leading the team in scoring is one thing; doing it in a reserve role makes the impact even more obvious.
Malone didn’t spend much time talking up the points themselves, either. He focused on the bigger point: Denis has earned the chance to play.
That matters because his freshman season offered so few opportunities. Every minute he gets now is part of the learning curve, and Malone seems to understand that better than anyone. At the same time, he also knows the Tar Heels are better when Denis is involved instead of watching from the sideline.
One game won’t lock in a permanent role, of course. Consistency is still going to decide how much Malone leans on him as the season goes on. But Denis has already done enough to put himself firmly in the mix.
UNC has plenty of backcourt competition, yet Denis is making it hard to leave him out of the conversation. If he keeps producing like this through three games, his role is only going to keep growing.
He waited his turn, stayed patient, and put in the work. Now that patience is starting to pay off, and Denis is on the verge of becoming a major piece for this UNC team.
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