Michael Malone is stepping into new territory at North Carolina, but one part of the job may look a lot like what he already knows.
College basketball usually asks coaches to work with a tighter group than the NBA does. Seven- or eight-man rotations are common in the college game, while pro teams can lean on as many as 10 players in a regular-season night. That difference matters, but this North Carolina roster looks built with a broader bench in mind.
There are 11 players who could realistically play meaningful minutes in Malone’s first season. The projected starters are Terrence Brown, Neoklis Avdalas, Matt Able, Jarin Stevenson, and Cameron Fens. Behind them, Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov, Isaiah Denis, Maximo Adams, Kevin Thomas, and Angelo Brizzi all look like options to factor into the mix.
Even with that kind of depth, the rotation should probably settle somewhere around nine or 10 players once the regular season gets rolling. In college basketball, that’s still a lot. It also feels deliberate.
Malone has been clear that he wants North Carolina to function like an NBA team, and that’s where his background could become a real advantage. In Denver, he spent years juggling stars, veterans, role players, and younger pieces within a deeper rotation. That kind of job is less about keeping everyone happy and more about getting the right minutes to the right people.
The top five all have a case for major playing time, but younger names like Maximo Adams and Kevin Thomas will need to earn roles before they can expect steady court time. If Malone does go with double-digit players, it could help him learn the roster faster while also getting the Tar Heels’ younger talent on the floor alongside established pieces like Terrence Brown.
It’s only one part of what Malone brings to Chapel Hill, but it’s a meaningful one. He hasn’t coached a game for North Carolina yet, and fans already seem eager to get behind him. Success could be brewing in Chapel Hill.
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