North Carolina is only a week away from getting a first real look at its new basketball group, and the buzz around Chapel Hill is building fast. The Tar Heels will open exhibition play against USC on October 9th, giving Michael Malone a chance to show how far his team has come after a couple of weeks of full practice with his system.
This is not the same conversation Carolina had around this time a year ago. Back then, the concerns centered on what the team might lack.
Now, the attention shifts to what this roster can become. It has size, speed, length, and a coach with an NBA championship on his résumé.
More importantly, it has a collection of pieces that could fit together in a hurry.
The biggest reason for optimism starts in the backcourt. Last season, Carolina never got enough production from its guards outside of Seth Trimble.
Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac struggled to adjust to ACC play, while Derek Dixon was still a freshman. Malone went after the portal hard, and even though the Heels missed on Juke Harris, they brought in three guards who could end up forming one of the nation’s better backcourts.
Terrence Brown, the Utah transfer, is the headliner. He averaged more than 19 points per game last season and profiles as a downhill scorer who should lead the team in points.
Alongside him are Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas and NC State transfer Matt Able, both viewed as NBA prospects with All-ACC upside. The depth behind that trio also matters.
Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis return with familiarity, while Angelo Brizzi arrives as a sixth-year senior who adds experience to the mix.
There is also no shortage of raw ability on this roster. Carolina has often been in the national conversation for talent, but the last two seasons under Hubert Davis left more questions than answers in that area.
That should not be the case here. Matt Able, Neo Avdalas and Sayon Kieta could all hear their names called in the first round.
Brown could push his way into that discussion too if his efficiency climbs while his scoring stays high. Jarin Stevenson looks like the kind of versatile big NBA teams love, and freshman Maximo Adams has drawn offseason praise for his shooting and rebounding.
That talent comes with a caveat: plenty of these players still have room to grow. That is exactly where Malone and his staff come in. If they can unlock more from this group, Carolina has the kind of ceiling that can carry into the top tier of the ACC and beyond by March.
Length is another clear advantage. Carolina had trouble matching up physically at times in recent seasons, especially against Duke and other ACC opponents.
This roster looks different. With Cameron Fens in the frontcourt, the Heels have five players listed at 6-11 or taller.
Add 6-9 Neoklis Avdalas, 6-7 Maximo Adams, 6-6 Kevin Thomas, and a guard group whose shortest player is 6-3, and this is one of the taller teams around.
That size could open the door for pressure defense, including full-court pressure or half-court traps, if Malone chooses to use it. It should also help on the glass. Kieta, Stevenson and Adams have all been praised for rebounding, and the length on the perimeter should give Carolina’s guards a chance to chip in there too.
Depth may be just as important as the size. Of the 15 scholarship players on the roster, not counting Fens, 12 are competing for rotation minutes.
Isaiah Denis looks like the backup ball handler behind Brown. The wing spots should be crowded, with Jaydon Young and Brizzi both offering shooting, while Young brings a little more defensive edge and Brizzi is the more polished scorer.
Adams and Kevin Thomas both provide length and shooting on the wing, though Adams can also slide to power forward. Alex Samodurov can handle both power forward and center, and Cade Bennerman has put himself in the mix as well if Fens remains ineligible.
The coaching staff is the final piece that makes this group feel different. Bryan Tibaldi came in with a reputation as a player development specialist, Chuck Martin was John Calipari’s top assistant at Arkansas, and Malone has his own record of getting the most out of talent, most notably Nikola Jokic.
People around the program have said Malone has been pushing Jarin Stevenson to give more, and Isaiah Denis has spent the offseason developing. The upside players - Kieta, Able, Avdalas, Adams and Bennerman - give this staff plenty to work with.
Carolina enters the season with real reasons to be excited, and the first chance to see it all together comes October 9th against USC.
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North Carolina Just Lost A Recruiting Battle Fans Were Watching
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For North Carolina, the miss lands with extra weight because Page brings the kind of length and two-way profile that fits the modern game and would have been an appealing addition on the wing. The scouting read on him points to a player whose competitiveness meshes well with UConn's style, even as his offensive game still has room to grow, and that combination helped shape a recruitment the Tar Heels were in until the end. [Read more 🡒]