North Carolina looked far more complete on Friday night, and Michael Malone had plenty to like after the Tar Heels rolled past Wofford 109-70.
The biggest difference was simple: UNC kept the pressure on. After a shaky start to the season, this was a far cleaner performance on both ends, even if it still wasn’t flawless. The Tar Heels gave up 14 offensive rebounds, an issue Malone has already been talking about early in the year, but the overall picture was much better than what UNC had shown in the exhibition games or in the regular season opener.
Offensively, North Carolina was efficient, hitting 52.1% of its shots and connecting on 40% from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels also took 25 threes, which fits with Malone’s clear desire for this group to keep firing from deep.
That part mattered, but so did the way UNC handled momentum. Malone pointed to the difference between Friday night and the Western Carolina game, where the Tar Heels let early advantages slip away. Against Wofford, he said the team did a better job of staying locked in once it built a lead.
“Not getting bored with success. Something we have been talking about: when you build a lead, when you get off to a good start.
Because if you go back to the Western game, we started the game off 10-0. Things were looking great.
The next thing you know, it is a two-point game. We started the second half on a four-zero run.
We are up 13. They go on an eight-zero run.
They cut it to five.
“So we can never pull away because we just were not understanding why we got the lead, or if we did understand that, we were reluctant to stay with that. I thought tonight, something we talked about was to just keep playing the right way, keep building habits, and play as close to 40 minutes as possible, and I was proud of our guys. I kept on reminding them in the huddle, even as the lead was getting bigger: we’re building habits,” Malone said, per USA Today.
That was the takeaway from the night: North Carolina didn’t just win big, it played with more consistency for longer stretches. And for Malone, that was the real step forward.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Face A Quick Gut Check With Duke Suddenly Next
No. 20 Carolina volleyball ran into a buzz saw against No. 2 Pitt, dropping the match in straight sets by scores of 20-25, 14-25 and 19-25. Safi Hampton, Chelsea Thorpe, Bridget Malone, Laynie Smith and Meghan Clifford were among the key Tar Heels trying to steady things, but Pitts level of play left little room for Carolina to settle in.
The timing makes the loss sting a little more, because the schedule does not offer much breathing room. Duke is next, and the Tar Heels will see the Blue Devils twice, on Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, turning this into a quick gut check for a Carolina team that has to reset fast and carry something useful out of a tough night. [Read more 🡒]
Leaky Black Just Gave UNC Fans A New Reason To Believe
Leaky Black got his first start of the 2026-27 NBA season for the Sacramento Kings and made the most of the opening, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The former UNC wing also showed a more aggressive scoring approach, taking all of his shots from beyond the arc and knocking down four of seven attempts, the kind of efficient perimeter night that can turn a temporary opportunity into something more lasting.
Blacks chance came after a teammate was ruled out because of illness, but the bigger takeaway for Tar Heels fans is how well he handled the moment. A player long valued for his defense and versatility is now giving Sacramento a stronger reason to keep him in the rotation, and if this is the start of a larger role, it could be a development worth watching closely from Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have Found A Frontcourt Option Wyoming Has To Worry About
North Carolinas lopsided win over Wofford offered a useful glimpse of a bench piece that could become more than a situational option. Alexandros Samodurov gave the Tar Heels a strong lift with 13 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes, showing enough touch and versatility on offense to stand out in a game where the reserves helped tilt the night early.
The bigger question now is how much more Carolina can ask of him, especially with Wyoming on deck. Samodurovs skill set is intriguing, but there are still real questions about whether he can hold up at center against more physical play, which makes his usage worth watching as the schedule tightens and the staff looks for answers in the frontcourt. [Read more 🡒]