North Carolina’s opener and Friday night looked like two different teams.
The Tar Heels brushed off the criticism that followed the sluggish win over Western Carolina and answered with a much cleaner showing, rolling past Wofford 109-70. And in the middle of that sharper performance, Maximo Adams kept making his case.
The freshman forward followed up his first game with another strong outing, giving UNC a second straight performance that stood out. Through two games, Adams is putting up 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range. For an incoming freshman, that kind of production from a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward can speed up North Carolina’s growth in the weeks ahead.
Adams is still coming off the bench, but that setup may not last long. He was used sparingly in the opener while most of the starting group - with the exception of Sayon Keita - handled the bulk of the minutes. Friday followed a similar pattern at first, but the rotation tilted further toward Adams.
Keita was limited to 14 minutes, while Adams was on the floor for 22. That opens the door to a possible change in the starting five, with Adams eventually taking Keita’s spot.
The biggest thing Adams has already shown is that he can rebound. If that keeps up, Malone has a real decision to make, because Adams brings more to the offense than Keita does.
North Carolina’s rebounding doesn’t get much better with the former FC Barcelona center on the court, and a small-ball look with Jarin Stevenson at center could cause problems against some opponents. Even so, this feels like the right moment for the staff to see what that option looks like.
In Other News...
Belichick May Be Getting A New In-State Rival Tar Heels Fans Know Well
NC State is expected to hire Philip Rivers as its next head football coach, pending approval from the universitys trustees, a move that would instantly add a familiar name to the in-state rivalry. Rivers, an NC State alum and former NFL quarterback, has spent the past few years coaching at the high school level since 2021, and his jump to the college sideline would bring a very different kind of spotlight to Raleigh.
For North Carolina, the development matters beyond the usual border-state bragging rights because Bill Belichick knows Rivers well from their NFL meetings. Belichick has already weighed in on Rivers competitiveness, which only adds to the intrigue if the hire becomes official and the rivalry gets a new face with a long football rsum behind it. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Has A Real Chance To Clinch Something At Louisville
North Carolina heads to Louisville with a straightforward goal in front of it: get one more win and become bowl-eligible. After the Tar Heels handled UConn, the program has a little momentum and a clearer sense of identity under Bill Belichick in his second season, with the discipline on both sides of the ball looking more settled than it did earlier in the year.
Billy Edwards Jr. has been a big part of that push, coming off a strong outing against UConn with 255 passing yards and three touchdowns. Now the challenge gets a little tougher on the road, where UNC can turn a solid midseason stretch into something more meaningful if it can finish the job at Louisville. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Defense Just Lost A Key Piece At The Worst Time
North Carolinas defense took a tough hit during its game against Syracuse, when linebacker Jonathan Agumadu suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him out for the rest of the 2026 season. Agumadu had become a significant part of the Tar Heels defensive rotation, so his absence leaves a noticeable void in the middle of the unit at a point when depth matters most.
Timir Hickman-Collins is among the linebackers expected to help absorb the workload from here, and UNC will need others to step forward quickly as it tries to steady the defense without one of its more reliable contributors. Injuries are part of the season, but losing a player like Agumadu now forces the Tar Heels to adjust on the fly and reshuffle a position group that had been counting on his presence. [Read more 🡒]