With North Carolina’s season-opener only four days away, Cameron Fens is still stuck in limbo.
The South Dakota transfer is already in Chapel Hill, living on campus and practicing with the team, but he still hasn’t been cleared to appear in exhibition games because his eligibility remains unresolved. Even after committing to North Carolina months ago, the big man’s status is still up in the air as the NCAA continues its push to keep players like Fens from getting an extra year of eligibility. Lawsuits around the country have kept the issue alive, but no final ruling has landed yet.
That uncertainty is wearing on Michael Malone, who made his frustration plain after the win over Charlotte on Tuesday night.
"I would hope that the NCAA at some point in time tries to clean this up because Cameron Fens deserves to play," an upset Malone said when asked about Fens' status moving forward. "Cameron Fens deserves to be out there.
"All we're doing right now is supporting him wholeheartedly, both he and his family. It's not easy for him going through practice every day knowing that, at this point in time, he's not eligible, but we believe in his case and we're going to continue to fight for Cameron Fens."
The mess around Fens is part of a broader picture that has turned into a patchwork of rulings from state to state. The source of the confusion is simple enough: some players are in, some players are out, and the deciding factor can feel arbitrary. In this case, Fens remains sidelined while a former Heel like Seth Trimble is cleared because of where his lawsuit was filed.
That uncertainty matters for North Carolina, too. In preseason action, the lack of a strong presence near the rim has already shown up. The Tar Heels need someone who can bang inside and help on the glass after Henri Veesaar’s move to the NBA.
Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov can give UNC useful minutes, but both are overseas players still adjusting to the college game. Fens brings something different: experience, size, and production. The 7-0, 255-pound big man averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds last season, and the Tar Heels were clearly counting on him to make an impact in the ACC.
For now, though, his status for the Nov. 2 opener against Western Carolina is still unresolved, and all signs point to him sitting out unless a ruling comes down soon. For North Carolina, that uncertainty is frustrating. For Malone, it’s even more personal.
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UNC Heads Into No. 1 Miami With A Pressure Point Fans Feel
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Miami brings the sort of attack that can expose any hesitation, with Darian Mensah directing the offense and Toney giving the Hurricanes another dangerous target on the outside. North Carolinas defense has already shown some cracks against the run and in the secondary, which makes the challenge even steeper as the Tar Heels try to avoid getting stretched on both sides of the ball. However this one unfolds, it has the feel of a game that could sharpen the conversation around where UNC stands right now and where it goes next. [Read more 🡒]