On Friday, UNC men’s basketball finally steps on the floor for the first time under Michael Malone, and while the exhibition against USC won’t count, it should answer at least one of the biggest early questions: who gets the nod in the first starting five?
The easiest place to start is on the wings, where Malone has more options than he does anywhere else. The three portal additions there - Neoklis Avdalas, Matt Able and Terrence Brown Jr - all look like starters on paper, but the fit gets tricky fast.
Avdalas brings real playmaking, but he’s not built like a true point guard and doesn’t profile well defending opposing ones. Brown can handle the ball, but he hasn’t shown much as a passer.
Put them together in a four-out setup and UNC can get a little light at power forward, especially with Avdalas’ size not necessarily matching the bulk and rebounding needed there. That leaves Malone with a choice: does he bring one of them, probably Able, off the bench, or does he bet on Brown becoming a more complete lead guard?
The comments from Malone and Brown this offseason point toward the second option, but that still has to work in practice. Kevin Thomas is also worth keeping in the mix.
If Brown isn’t the starting point guard, the conversation shifts to Isaiah Denis and Angelo Brizzi. Brizzi is more of a veteran shooter who can handle the ball than a pure creator, but his experience is an obvious asset.
Denis barely played last season, yet he flashed some ability as a fast-paced lead guard with a solid jumper. The issue is the same one that hangs over Brizzi: how much can he do to make others better?
The sense here is that Brizzi probably doesn’t end up in the starting five if Malone is already comfortable with a veteran guard who doesn’t pile up assists, because that logic would just circle back to Brown. Denis, though, remains the wild card.
Up front, the decision appears to come down to senior Jarin Stevenson or freshman Maximo Adams, unless Avdalas slides into a small-ball four role. Under a new coach, seniority doesn’t guarantee anything, even for a returning player like Stevenson, who logged the most minutes of UNC’s returners and carries local ties that help connect this roster to the program’s past.
He looked more comfortable and physical at North Carolina than he had at Alabama, attacked the basket more, defended opposing bigs well and helped on the offensive glass. Still, his shot could come and go, he was only an average defensive rebounder and he wasn’t much of a playmaker in a frontcourt that needed more passing.
Adams, meanwhile, arrives with a reputation for shooting, soft hands around the rim, rebounding and a willingness to pass, though that comes with some turnover risk. The catch is obvious: all of that has to translate to college speed and physicality, and high school production only tells you so much.
The one position that looks settled is center, where Sayon Keita appears to own the job. Alex Samodurov can offer some of the same center minutes, along with a bit of pick-and-pop ability, while Cameron Fens would project more as a backup enforcer if he’s eligible.
For now, the safest projection for UNC’s opening lineup is Brown, Able, Avdalas, Stevenson and Keita. Adams has a real path to pushing Stevenson and could take that spot by the time the calendar flips, but Friday feels too early for that switch. Denis is the other name to watch, but if he were ready to start this season after being so limited a year ago, it’s fair to wonder why he was kept on the bench for so much of last year in the first place.
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