North Carolina forward Achol Akot is already on the national radar before she’s played a game in Carolina Blue.
The senior has been included on the 20-player preseason watch list for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award, a recognition handed out by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its Naismith Starting 5 honors for the top college players at each position.
Akot arrives in Chapel Hill after a strong junior year at Oklahoma State, where she put up 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. She was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12 after making 63.3% of her shots, a number that ranked second in the league and sixth nationally. It was the most productive season of her career, capped by 21 double-figure scoring games and six double-doubles while starting all 34 contests.
The Tar Heels will debut in the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 in Paris, France, when they take on No. 21 Oklahoma in the 2026 Oui Play.
The game will be played at Adidas Arena and is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Akot is one of 20 players on the preseason list for the award, a group that also includes McKinna Brackens of Arizona State, Skylar Jones of Baylor, Jadyn Donovan of Duke, Berry Wallace of Illinois, Mackenly Randolph of Louisville, Mikaylah Williams of LSU, Bri McDaniel of Maryland, Olivia Olson of Michigan, Grace Slaughter of Missouri, Natalie Potts of Nebraska, Sahara Williams of Oklahoma, Stailee Heard of Oklahoma State, Joyce Edwards of South Carolina, Kaylene Smikle of Tennessee, Madison Booker of Texas, Jalynn Bristow of Texas Tech, Addy Brown of UCLA, Blanca Quiñónez of UConn and ZaZa Walton of West Virginia.
In Other News...
Bill Belichick's Real Power At UNC May Be Coming Into Focus
North Carolinas search for a new general manager has become one of the more revealing storylines around the Tar Heels football overhaul. The program is still sorting out the fallout from Michael Lombardis exit, after he was suspended from the GM job in late July amid an HR investigation and officially resigned in early September, leaving a significant opening in a front office that has only recently taken shape.
Former Michigan GM Sean Magee is consulting on the search, and the structure of the next hire could say plenty about how UNC wants this thing to work. The new GM may end up reporting to both athletic director Steve Newmark and head coach Bill Belichick, a setup that reflects the shifting power balance in college football and offers a clearer picture of how much influence Belichick is expected to have in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Downs Just Put UNC Fans On Trade Watch
Josh Downs has found himself back in the middle of trade talk as the Colts continue reshaping their roster, with the former North Carolina wide receiver asking for a move after a recent run of departures that included Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. Downs is in the final year of his rookie contract, which only adds to the uncertainty around his future, especially after his name had already been circulating in rumors alongside teammate Jonathan Taylor.
For Tar Heels fans, it is another reminder of how quickly UNCs receiver pipeline keeps producing players worth watching at the next level. Downs has already carved out an NFL profile after a productive college career in Chapel Hill, while Jordan Shipp is giving Carolina another intriguing name to track on Saturdays. If Downs does end up elsewhere, it would only add another twist to a story that already has Colts fans and UNC followers paying close attention. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Misses On Five-Star As This Recruitment Slipped Away Fast
Asa Montgomerys recruitment never lingered very long, and that alone tells you how quickly the stakes changed for North Carolina. The five-star prospect has committed to Duke for the 2027 class, picking the Blue Devils over UNC, UConn, Georgia Tech and LSU in a decision that gives Duke another marquee name to build around and leaves the Tar Heels regrouping in a talent race that rarely slows down for long.
For North Carolina, the miss is less about one player and more about the broader picture of where the battle lines keep getting drawn. Dukes class already features other top prospects, and Montgomery only strengthens that early momentum while UNC shifts its focus to the next wave of elite targets. In recruiting, timing can matter as much as pitch, and this one got away before the Tar Heels had much room to turn it around. [Read more 🡒]