Former NC State coach Kevin Keatts had a front-row take on UNC’s first practice, and his read lined up with the early buzz around Michael Malone’s new group.
Keatts, who has moved on to ESPN, put out a practice report that painted a clear picture of what this Tar Heels team is supposed to be about. In his words:
”Mike Malone’s first team at UNC will feature speed, playmakers, and rim protection. Really like the play and leadership of Utah transfer Terrence Brown.
Neo Avdalas and Jarin Stevenson have ACC experience and great size at both forward positions. Remember the name Sayon Keita, an elite shot blocker.
UNC is built to play uptempo this season.”
That assessment fits the early chatter coming out of Chapel Hill. Malone’s NBA background makes the tempo piece feel pretty natural, and Keatts’ report only reinforced the idea that this team wants to push.
The Sayon Keita note stands out the most. There’s been plenty of talk about how raw the former international player is, and that part doesn’t disappear just because Keatts called him an “elite shot blocker.”
Keita is still very much a work in progress, and UNC is also hoping Cameron Fens’ eligibility issue gets cleared up so he can potentially start. Still, if Keita can provide even dependable rim protection, that would go a long way toward giving this roster what it needs.
Keatts also singled out Terrence Brown for his play and leadership, which is notable given the way Brown’s role at Utah may have made him look more like a ball-dominant guard than a true facilitator. Brown said on the Carolina Insider podcast that he wants to prove himself as a playmaker this season.
Who handles the lead-guard duties remains unclear, with Brown and Neo Avdalas both in the mix. At this point, it would not be surprising if they split that responsibility in some form.
In Other News...
UNC Is Already In An Early Fight For A Massive 5-Star Center
A big man with a growing national market is already drawing plenty of attention, and North Carolina has made sure it is in the mix early. Dylan Betts, a five-star Class of 2028 center and 7-foot-3 prospect at IMG Academy, has taken an unofficial visit to Chapel Hill as part of a recruitment process that is quickly broadening beyond one region or one conference.
UNCs staff has been building a relationship with Betts while schools like Michigan and Illinois have already hosted him, and Alabama is also lined up for a future visit. For the Tar Heels, getting in early matters with a player of that size and ceiling, because the race for elite frontcourt talent tends to move fast once the major programs start pressing their cases. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs New Backcourt Duo Brings More Than Fans Might Expect
North Carolinas newest backcourt pairing arrived with plenty of intrigue during a recent media availability, as transfer guards Angelo Brizzi and Neo Avdalas were introduced to the Tar Heels audience. Brizzi brings a well-traveled resume, but also the kind of reliability UNC needs from a lead guard, having started all 32 games at Buffalo and finished with 14.5 points per game. Avdalas offers a different look entirely, a 6-foot-9 guard whose size and playmaking made him one of the more interesting additions in the ACC last season.
Avdalas started all 31 games at Virginia Tech, averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, and earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors twice, which gives UNC a backcourt blend that is both experienced and unconventional. For a program always balancing immediate expectations with roster fit, the bigger question now is how quickly these two transfers can translate their production into chemistry, spacing and decision-making in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks UNC Start Looks Worse As Passed-Over Options Keep Delivering
Bill Belichicks first season at North Carolina has already become a talking point across college football, and not in the way anyone around Chapel Hill would have wanted. As the Tar Heels try to settle in under one of the sports most famous names, the comparison game has only intensified, with other programs taking shape behind coaches who were in the same broader conversation before Belichick landed at UNC.
Those parallel developments matter because the coaches North Carolina did not hire keep stacking up results elsewhere. Jon Sumrall and Jake Dickert, in particular, have continued to build momentum, while Wake Forests early success under Dickert and quarterback Gio Lopez has only sharpened the optics. Even in games with uneven quarterback play, such as Clemsons outing from Tait Reynolds, the broader trend has been hard to miss for UNC fans watching the wider carousel. [Read more 🡒]