North Carolina’s offseason makeover has been about more than just a new voice on the sideline. With Michael Malone now in charge, the Tar Heels have attacked the transfer portal and built a backcourt that he believes can change the look of the roster right away.
Malone said the work started the moment the portal opened. “When that portal opened the day I got the job, it seems like five months ago, we addressed the backcourt,” Malone said about the transfer portal additions. “We added Terrence Brown, we added Matt Able, we added Neo Avdalas, and I think those three guys combine for one of the more dynamic and exciting backcourts in all of college basketball.”
Brown arrives after a productive season at Utah, where he averaged 19.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three.
Able brings another scoring option after his freshman season at NC State, when he put up 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 41.6 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from deep.
Avdalas gives North Carolina a different kind of piece. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, hitting 38.6 percent of his shots and 31.4 percent from distance. Malone made clear why he valued that addition so highly.
“Neo is a guy who was such an important get because, to me, his positional size, but also his vision, his playmaking, are what separate Neo Avdalas from a lot of other players,” Malone said.
North Carolina’s portal haul gives Malone a roster with plenty of talent as he heads into his first season leading the program, and the early expectation is that the Tar Heels have enough firepower to be in the mix for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
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