North Carolina’s exhibition slate now has its start times, and Michael Malone’s first turn on the Carolina bench will arrive on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. against Southern Cal in Greensboro.
UNC announced Thursday that the Tar Heels’ three preseason games will unfold across 18 days in October, beginning with that ACC Network telecast at First Horizon Coliseum. It’s the first of two UNC dates in Greensboro over a little more than two months, with the other coming later in the fall against N.C. State.
Nine days after the USC game, Carolina heads to Indianapolis for another exhibition, this one against Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. That game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, and it marks the debut in a Carolina uniform for freshman center Sayon Keita. A TV designation has not been set.
UNC closes its preseason with Charlotte’s visit to the Smith Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. That game will stream only on ACC Network Extra. The 49ers are coached by first-year head coach Wes Miller, and his staff includes former UNC guard Marcus Paige as an assistant.
The Tar Heels then move into the regular season on Monday, Nov. 2 against Western Carolina, opening a stretch of six straight home games to begin the year.
Carolina’s schedule also includes the return trip to Greensboro on Dec. 15 for a 7 p.m. Friday matchup with N.C.
State in the Tobacco Road Classic, a non-conference game. Other notable dates on the calendar include the Dec.
1 ACC/SEC Challenge meeting with No. 13 Arkansas, the Dec.
19 CBS Sports Classic against Kentucky in New York, and the Jan. 30 Nashville Hoops Showdown against No.
5 Illinois.
UNC’s preseason and early-season roster includes freshman center Sayon Keita, freshman Maximo Adams, freshman Malloy Smith, freshman Kevin Thomas, sophomore Cade Bennerman, sophomore Neo Avdalas, sophomore Isaiah Denis, sophomore Matt Able, junior Alex Samodurov, senior Terrence Brown, senior Jaydon Young, senior Jarin Stevenson, graduate Angelo Brizzi and graduate Cameron Fens. Walk-ons listed are junior John Holbrook and senior Evan Smith.
The coaching staff under Malone is made up of associate head coach Chuck Martin and assistants Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson, with Deon Thompson serving as director of player development.
UNC’s schedule also notes former players now at other schools, including Luka Bogavac at Oklahoma State, James Brown at Howard, Derek Dixon at Arizona, Kyan Evans at Minnesota, Zayden High at South Florida, Jonathan Powell at Pittsburgh and Ivan Matlekovic at Pacific.
In Other News...
Antawn Jamisons Return To UNC Comes In A Role Fans Will Love
Antawn Jamison is back on campus in a way that fits both his rsum and his roots. The former North Carolina star and two-time NBA All-Star has returned to UNC as a visiting professor, co-teaching a sports communication course at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and bringing lessons from his playing days and his post-playing career into the classroom.
Working alongside associate professor Livis Freeman, Jamison is spending time with students discussing the sports industry and the realities that come with it. For a program that has long valued players who stay connected to the university after their careers, this is the kind of role that should resonate with Tar Heel fans, even if it looks a little different from the one they remember him in. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Suddenly Faces A QB Decision That Could Define The Season
The Clemson loss left North Carolina with more than a frustrating result, because the Tar Heels came out of it still searching for answers at quarterback. Billy Edwards Jr. never found a rhythm in the passing game, finishing 13 of 30 for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while the defense faded as the game went on and let the Tigers pull away in the second half. It was the kind of night that can change the conversation around a season fast, especially when the margin for error is already thin.
Now the bye week gives UNC a little space to sort through what comes next, and the timing could hardly be more delicate. A quarterback move is at least on the table, but the upcoming schedule makes any decision harder, not easier, because the Tar Heels need stability as much as they need answers. For the staff, the challenge is weighing whether a change would spark the offense or simply create another problem at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got An Eligibility Boost With Bigger Questions Ahead
An Indiana judge has given North Carolina football kicker Rece Verhoff and three field hockey players a path back to competition after granting an injunction that restores a fifth season of eligibility. Along with Verhoff, the ruling covers Ryleigh Heck, Sietske Brning and Dani Mendez, and it gives the group the chance to return during the 2026-27 academic year while the broader dispute plays out.
The decision is tied to a legal challenge to the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model, which affects athletes from the high school Class of 2022. For UNC, the immediate effect is clear enough: a bit more roster flexibility and a little more certainty for a few players. The bigger question is how far this challenge goes, and whether the ruling becomes part of a wider shift in how the NCAA handles eligibility going forward. [Read more 🡒]