UNC got the win over Wyoming, and it got the cover too - just barely. That part will satisfy the bettors who needed the Heels to get past the 12.5 to 13.5-point spread, but it probably won’t calm the crowd that wanted a more convincing finish. Wyoming made this more annoying than pretty, and UNC didn’t help itself much along the way.
That said, the Cowboys weren’t just rolling over. They came in averaging 95 points per game and ranked top 50 in rebounds per game, so this had the makings of a real test despite the paper mismatch.
Wyoming deserves some credit for making things uncomfortable. Still, UNC also spent plenty of the night tripping over its own issues.
The biggest spark came at halftime, when Michael Malone decided enough was enough.
“I challenged our manhood at halftime. We had guys that had just played a whole half of basketball with zero rebounds or one defensive rebound.”
That message landed. UNC had been getting beat on the glass in the first half, and the Dean Dome crowd let the team know it.
Malone then doubled down, sending his team to warm up with six minutes left before the second half. Whatever he said, it worked at least in that area: UNC won the rebounding battle after halftime 22-18 after Wyoming had owned the first half by 10 on the boards.
Not every fan wants to see a team respond only after a coach gets after them, but that was the reality here. Malone found the button and pushed it hard enough to get a reaction.
Sayon Keita was the most physically imposing player on the floor and made Wyoming pay for it. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals, using his size to erase shots at the rim, swipe at loose balls and finish alley-oops from Neo Avdalas. He was one of the few Heels who looked fully in control from start to finish.
That kind of performance is exactly why Keita is such an intriguing piece this season. At his best, he can dominate a game in short bursts.
The problem has been getting that version often enough and long enough. Against Wyoming, he delivered.
Georgia on Friday won’t offer the same size advantage, so the next question is whether he can carry even most of this into that matchup.
Avdalas, meanwhile, had a night to forget.
The Virginia Tech transfer finished with one point, one rebound, four assists and two turnovers. He got to the line several times but made only one of five free throws.
He also took just two shots from the field and missed both. The assists were there, mostly in connection with Keita on the lob game, but almost everything else was rough.
The concern is obvious: if Avdalas is going to start at point guard, UNC needs much more from him than this. He didn’t rebound, didn’t offer much as a scorer and didn’t do enough as a facilitator outside those alley-oops. Terrence Brown looks more like a shooting guard than a true point guard, and Isaiah Denis has been a different player from game to game, so there isn’t an easy fix waiting in the wings.
That leaves Malone trying to make the Avdalas setup work, even if the early returns have been shaky. For one night, UNC survived Wyoming. It just didn’t make it look easy.
In Other News...
Bill Belichick's UNC Future Just Got More Uncertain
Bill Belichicks second season at North Carolina has brought a clearer on-field picture, even if the bigger off-field one remains murkier. The Tar Heels are 5-4 and have shown improvement from last year, but the program has also spent this stretch dealing with the fallout from an investigation that prompted the resignations of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.
For now, there has been no discussion between Belichick and the university about changing his current contract or mapping out his future with the team. That leaves UNC in a familiar holding pattern for a program trying to build momentum while still sorting through the aftereffects of a turbulent stretch behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Could Land One More Recruit That Changes This Class
North Carolina already has a headliner in its 2027 class with five-star small forward DeMarcus Henry on board, but the Tar Heels may not be done shaping the group just yet. As the open signing period approaches, the staff still has a chance to add another elite piece, and the focus has turned to five-star forward C.J. Rosser, one of the most closely watched names still sorting through his options.
Rosser is weighing North Carolina against Kentucky, and there has been no confirmed decision yet, which keeps the door open for the Tar Heels to land a second major prize in the class. For a program that has already secured one five-star commitment, the next move could go a long way toward defining how this group is viewed once the signing period gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Faces A Pace Battle That Could Decide Its Best Win Chance
The tempo question looms over UNCs trip to Louisville, where the Tar Heels are trying to match up with one of the ACCs more explosive offenses. Louisville has been especially dangerous on first downs, which makes every possession feel a little more urgent for a UNC defense that has to do a better job of limiting big plays and getting off the field before drives turn into quick-strike points.
On the other side, UNCs best path is to keep its own offense efficient enough to help control the rhythm of the game and prevent Louisville from dictating pace. With the season nearing its final stretch, both teams have plenty riding on the result, and the matchup may come down to which side can force the other into playing its preferred style for four quarters. [Read more 🡒]