North Carolina answered its early-season questions with a runaway win Friday night, rolling past Wofford 109-70 in its second game of the year.
After a disappointing showing against Western Carolina, the Tar Heels needed a response, and they got one in a game that featured sharper energy, better production across the roster and a clear emphasis on the glass. The rebounding effort stood out immediately.
The players on the floor seemed intent on making a point after the criticism from head coach Michael Malone and the public eye, and that urgency showed in how hard North Carolina attacked missed shots. Wofford still hung around in that area, which remains something to watch, but the Tar Heels’ pushback against that storyline was a welcome development.
Sayon Keita’s night was a good example of that effort. He topped his rebounding total from Monday night, when he had two, before the first media timeout on Friday.
It’s still a work in progress, but the early signs were encouraging. Those defensive boards also fed the offense, giving North Carolina chances to run and get into transition before Wofford could get set.
The bigger picture was even more promising for the Tar Heels: depth. All 10 players who appeared in the first half scored, and North Carolina’s bench chipped in 23 points before halftime. Alexandros Samodurov led that second unit with nine points, giving the Tar Heels production they can lean on beyond the top of the rotation.
That balance showed up on the final stat sheet, too. North Carolina had five players finish in double figures: Terrence Brown with 21, Jaydon Young with 15, Alexandros Samodurov with 13, Maximo Adams with 11 and Jarin Stevenson with 10.
Brown’s performance may have been the most encouraging of the bunch. After a rough preseason and an underwhelming opener, even with 14 points in that game, the Utah transfer looked much more comfortable against Wofford. He attacked off the dribble, got downhill in transition and played to the strengths that have defined his career.
That scoring burst is exactly what Brown has built his game around, and it showed Friday. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard led North Carolina with 21 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point range.
Adams also kept building on a strong start. Even as a freshman, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward already looks like one of the team’s best players, and he backed that up with a double-double against Wofford. He finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc.
In Other News...
UNC Just Lost A Key Path To Cameron Fens Help
The latest legal turn around college basketball eligibility has put Cameron Fens in a precarious spot, and North Carolina is watching closely. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and vacated the nationwide injunction in Wisne v. NCAA, a ruling that had been part of the broader fight over fifth-year players seeking another season of eligibility.
For Fens, the impact is immediate because he is still tied up in a separate Tennessee case, where the state Court of Appeals stayed his injunction and left him ineligible for now. His path back onto the court now hinges entirely on how that Tennessee lawsuit plays out, leaving UNC with one fewer avenue for help and another unresolved eligibility question hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got A Real Shot At A Five-Star Guard
Brady Pettigrews recruitment is starting to take shape, and North Carolina is firmly in the mix. The five-star guard has trimmed his list to 10 programs, putting the Tar Heels alongside a heavy group that includes Duke, Kentucky, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and others, and he recently wrapped up an official visit to Chapel Hill.
Pettigrew is currently ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2028, which already makes him one of the most coveted guards in the country. There is also growing speculation that he could reclassify into an earlier class, a possibility that would only heighten the urgency around his recruitment, even if no decision has been confirmed yet. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Win Over UConn Revives One Debate Tar Heel Fans Know Well
North Carolinas 38-21 win over UConn gave the Tar Heels a much-needed step forward as they moved to five victories and kept bowl eligibility in sight. It also came with a few performances that stood out beyond the final score, from Jelani Thurman tying a school record for touchdown catches by a tight end to Benjamin Hall setting the tone on the ground before leaving with an injury.
Peyton Seelmann added two sacks, and the defense came away with three turnovers and three sacks overall, which was enough to tilt the game UNCs way. Still, the unit also gave up several big plays, leaving the familiar question hanging over this team: how much of this was a sign of real progress, and how much is simply another reminder that the Tar Heels still have work to do on both sides of the ball? [Read more 🡒]