North Carolina is 2-0, and while the Tar Heels have looked solid through the first two games, there’s still a sense that the real test hasn’t arrived yet. That comes in game four, when UNC meets Georgia, a team that hasn’t exactly blown anyone away either but is still an SEC opponent the Tar Heels need to handle.
Even with the early wins, this doesn’t feel like the same old UNC roster people are used to seeing. There’s talent on both ends of the floor, but the makeup of the team has changed enough that some outside observers are already putting it in a different category.
“To use his basketball acumen - which was good enough to win an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 - to make UNC’s sum greater than its parts. Clearly, that process is going to take some time.
“The reality: This is not your grandparents’ North Carolina team. Only one starter (forward Jarin Stevenson) returns from last season, meaning Malone is essentially starting from scratch.
And while he had resources to work with in the transfer portal - at least 20 million of them - he also had no idea who any of the available players were or how they fit his vision. So, he talent-grabbed to the best of his ability,” Brendan Marks wrote.
Michael Malone entered his first season in Chapel Hill with plenty to sort through, and the offseason gave him answers to a lot of those questions. Taking over for Hubert Davis was never going to be simple, especially with the timing of the hire, but he still appears to have done a strong job piecing things together.
What makes the situation even more intriguing is that this could be just the beginning. UNC has a chance to build this at a much higher level over the next couple of years, and the current version of the team is already decent.
The bigger picture is still unfolding, but with Malone in charge, North Carolina looks like it has as good a chance as anyone to become one of the top teams in college basketball. In the transfer portal and NIL era, rosters like the old ones may be gone for good, and that’s the reality for nearly every program in the sport.
In Other News...
Belichick May Be Getting A New In-State Rival Tar Heels Fans Know Well
NC State is expected to hire Philip Rivers as its next head football coach, pending approval from the universitys trustees, a move that would instantly add a familiar name to the in-state rivalry. Rivers, an NC State alum and former NFL quarterback, has spent the past few years coaching at the high school level since 2021, and his jump to the college sideline would bring a very different kind of spotlight to Raleigh.
For North Carolina, the development matters beyond the usual border-state bragging rights because Bill Belichick knows Rivers well from their NFL meetings. Belichick has already weighed in on Rivers competitiveness, which only adds to the intrigue if the hire becomes official and the rivalry gets a new face with a long football rsum behind it. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Has A Real Chance To Clinch Something At Louisville
North Carolina heads to Louisville with a straightforward goal in front of it: get one more win and become bowl-eligible. After the Tar Heels handled UConn, the program has a little momentum and a clearer sense of identity under Bill Belichick in his second season, with the discipline on both sides of the ball looking more settled than it did earlier in the year.
Billy Edwards Jr. has been a big part of that push, coming off a strong outing against UConn with 255 passing yards and three touchdowns. Now the challenge gets a little tougher on the road, where UNC can turn a solid midseason stretch into something more meaningful if it can finish the job at Louisville. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Defense Just Lost A Key Piece At The Worst Time
North Carolinas defense took a tough hit during its game against Syracuse, when linebacker Jonathan Agumadu suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him out for the rest of the 2026 season. Agumadu had become a significant part of the Tar Heels defensive rotation, so his absence leaves a noticeable void in the middle of the unit at a point when depth matters most.
Timir Hickman-Collins is among the linebackers expected to help absorb the workload from here, and UNC will need others to step forward quickly as it tries to steady the defense without one of its more reliable contributors. Injuries are part of the season, but losing a player like Agumadu now forces the Tar Heels to adjust on the fly and reshuffle a position group that had been counting on his presence. [Read more 🡒]