North Carolina rebuilt its roster almost from the ground up this offseason, and the biggest change came in the backcourt. With Michael Malone now in charge, the Tar Heels have leaned hard into a new identity built around versatility, scoring punch, and guard play that can tilt games in a hurry.
That said, the ACC doesn’t hand out respect lightly, and North Carolina isn’t at the top of this particular pile just yet. Duke still sets the standard.
The Blue Devils kept Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster, then added 5-star guard Deron Rippey Jr. and Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell. Foster has been a dependable piece in the backcourt, while Boozer showed what he could do when Foster went down with a foot injury against North Carolina.
Over five games without Foster, Boozer put up 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
Blackwell brings another proven scoring threat after averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season, along with shooting splits of 43.0 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from deep. Rippey Jr. adds another layer of upside as the No. 13 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite. On paper, Duke’s backcourt looks every bit as dangerous as the rest of its roster.
Virginia, though, has the kind of continuity that keeps it ahead of North Carolina for now. The Cavaliers return Chance Mallory and Sam Lewis, while also bringing in Jurian Dixon and Christian Harmon.
Lewis was steady in 2025, averaging 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three. Mallory, as a freshman, posted 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 42.2 percent shooting overall and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Dixon adds more production after transferring from UC Irvine, where he averaged 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.0 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three. Harmon remains the wildcard, but the overall package gives Virginia a backcourt that should be balanced and efficient. Retention is the reason the Cavaliers sit above North Carolina in this conversation.
Louisville belongs in the mix too, even if its backcourt comes with more uncertainty. The Cardinals lost Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell, and Isaac McKneely, then responded by adding Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox, and Seth Trimble while keeping Adrian Wooley. That’s a lot of turnover, but also a lot of talent.
Wooley will matter as a shooter after hitting 35.0 percent from beyond the arc. Shelstad gives Louisville a shifty ballhandler, Knox arrives after dealing with injuries at Arkansas last season, and Trimble could be one of the quieter key additions because of the perimeter defense he brings. If the pieces fit, Louisville could wind up with one of the deepest backcourts in the country.
North Carolina, though, has a chance to surge by the time the conference tournament arrives. The Tar Heels’ group is built to mix and match, and the upside is obvious.
Neoklis Avdalas is the swing piece. If the Virginia Tech transfer can sharpen his efficiency without losing his playmaking, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound guard could be the one who pushes North Carolina over the top.
Matt Able is another name to watch. He was a bench contributor for North Carolina State in 2025, but with more minutes, he has a path toward a major leap. That showed up at the NBA Combine, where the 6-foot-6, 211-pound guard proved he can score in bursts and create for teammates without needing the ball constantly.
Terrence Brown gives the Tar Heels another high-level scorer after averaging 19.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds last season at Utah while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three against Big 12 competition. Angelo Brizzi is another underrated addition, coming off a 2025 season in which he averaged 14.5 points while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from long range.
That’s why North Carolina has a real chance to keep climbing. The Tar Heels should have no trouble scoring, and with Malone guiding the group, there’s enough shot creation and dribble penetration here to make them one of the most explosive teams in the country.
In Other News...
UNC Just Got A Lot More Pressure In Demarcus Henrys Recruitment
North Carolinas pursuit of five-star small forward Demarcus Henry just got a little more complicated. Henry had already trimmed his list to eight schools, with the Tar Heels among the programs still in the mix, but the recruiting picture tightened again when another blueblood entered the chase and raised the level of competition around one of the countrys top prospects.
The Tar Heels are still battling a crowded field that also features Ohio State, BYU, Arkansas, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville and UConn, and the Buckeyes remain a real factor because of family ties. For UNC, the challenge now is not just staying in range with a highly coveted wing, but doing it while one more heavyweight tries to make a late push in a recruitment that already had plenty of pressure attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Shaq McRoy Could Decide How Fast UNCs New Offense Clicks
North Carolina spent the offseason reshaping its offensive line, and the arrival of tackle Shaq McRoy is part of that push. The Tar Heels have been looking to add depth and sturdiness up front as they get ready to install Bobby Petrinos new offensive scheme, a change that puts a premium on quicker communication and cleaner protection from the first snap of camp.
Bill Belichick has already pointed to McRoy as one of the more intriguing additions, noting the tackles natural ability even with limited experience. That kind of upside matters even more with the Week 1 quarterback decision still unresolved, because the lines ability to settle in could help determine how smoothly the whole offense comes together once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]