Terrence Brown is already showing North Carolina something every good team needs: he knows when to take the wheel and when to share it.
With the regular season set to start Monday against Western Carolina, the Tar Heels are out of exhibition time and into the part where questions have to get answered fast. How this team looks will hinge on its best players, and Brown sits near the center of that conversation alongside Matt Able and Neoklis Avdalas. Avdalas has already shown at the ACC level that he can be an elite player, Brown starred at Utah last season, and Able was a very good player for NC State last year.
Brown has also looked the part in the preseason. He came off an impressive nearly 30-point outing against Charlotte, stuffing the stat sheet and making it clear he has a real shot to be one of college basketball’s leading scorers.
But his value may go beyond scoring.
Head coach Michael Malone said Brown has shown a willingness to buy into a different role, one built around Avdalas’ presence on the floor. That matters, because Brown has spent much of his college career with the ball in his hands, especially at Fairleigh Dickinson before transferring to Utah. At North Carolina, things will be different.
"Yeah. I think he understands.
He came to me one day just saying, 'Listen, I understand that Neo's 6-7. He's a very good player.
He's a playmaker. He makes everybody better.
And I'm just going to trust in that process. I'm going to trust you.
You've had great success, and I know you're going to put me in a position to have success.'
“You love to hear that. You don't fight it. I will make sure I allow you to play your game within the constraints of a team,” Malone said.
That kind of response says a lot about Brown. He’s not just willing to let someone else initiate the offense; he’s trusting the whole setup around him.
And that may be the biggest adjustment of all. Brown is stepping into a setting that carries more pressure than any stop he’s made before, and he’s being asked to handle it in a different way than he has in the past. Still, the early signs are encouraging, and he’s been proving that during the exhibition stretch.
In Other News...
UNC Is Closing In On A Recruit Tar Heels Fans Will Obsess Over
A major recruiting decision is coming into focus for one of the top names in the 2027 class, and North Carolina appears to be right in the middle of it. DeMarcus Henry, the five-star forward ranked No. 2 in the SC Next 100, is set to announce his college choice Friday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNs NBA Today, with the Tar Heels, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisville still in the mix.
UNC helped itself with Henrys final official visit, which included a call from Michael Jordan, and the Tar Heels are now viewed as a leading candidate in the race. Recent reports and predictions have leaned toward Chapel Hill, adding even more intrigue to a recruitment that has already become one fans will be watching closely as the clock ticks toward his announcement. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces A Trap-Game Test Fans Can't Ignore
North Carolina is back in the kind of game that can tell you a lot about where it stands in the ACC race, even if the conversation around Week 9 has centered more on Miamis looming test than the Tar Heels themselves. The matchup figures to draw attention because it puts North Carolina in the middle of a prediction market that expects a close game, and those kinds of games usually say plenty about a teams steadiness, its ability to handle pressure and whether it can make an opponent uncomfortable for four quarters.
For the Tar Heels, the bigger storyline is less about the outside noise and more about whether they can turn a difficult spot into a statement opportunity. Miami is being picked to escape with a narrow win, which leaves North Carolina with a chance to challenge that expectation and change the tone around its season, even if the projection still tilts toward the Hurricanes. The setup is simple enough, but these are exactly the sorts of games where the details matter and one timely swing can change how the rest of the week gets discussed. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Suddenly Has Major Recruiting Momentum Ahead Of Elite Prospect's Decision
North Carolinas recruiting pitch to Henry has picked up real force in a hurry. The No. 2 overall recruit and top small forward in the 2027 class recently made a visit to Chapel Hill, then cut his list down to four schools, with the Tar Heels still in the mix alongside Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisville.
The buzz around UNC only grew when Michael Jordan personally called Henry as part of the programs push. Now the spotlight shifts to Friday, when Henry is expected to reveal his decision on ESPNs NBA Today at 3 p.m. ET, setting up a high-profile finish to a recruitment that could reshape the Tar Heels future plans. [Read more 🡒]