North Carolina didn’t leave much room for doubt on Friday night.
After the uneasy finish to the season opener against Western Carolina, the Tar Heels looked far more settled in a 109-70 win over Wofford at the Dean E. Smith Center. The scoreline told the story, but the individual performances told it even better.
The clearest bright spot was Brown, the former Utah guard who gave UNC exactly the kind of game fans were hoping for when he arrived through the transfer portal. He stayed inside the flow of the offense, leaned into what he does best, and kept the perimeter attempts to a minimum. Brown finished with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three-point range, with most of his damage coming at the rim.
Freshman forward Adams also made a strong case for a bigger role. In just his second game in a Tar Heel uniform, he posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 5-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, giving UNC efficient production without needing a heavy workload.
That kind of output matters, and Adams has already shown it in two games: he can score without taking over the shot chart.
Then there was Samodurov, who answered some early questions in a big way. The Greek center had been drifting a bit in the background, with concerns about his physicality starting to creep in.
Against Wofford, he pushed those doubts aside. Working as a high-post big man, Samodurov scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds while going 4-of-5 from the floor.
If he keeps bringing that kind of rebounding presence, he’ll become a major piece of the rotation.
Not everyone had the same kind of night, though. Able was quiet for much of the game, not getting on the board until the six-minute mark of the first half.
The North Carolina State transfer finished with only 17 minutes, a number that may have had as much to do with UNC’s big lead as anything else. He wasn’t bad - he shot 3-of-4 from the field - but he also wasn’t nearly as assertive as he was in the opener.
Denis had a more frustrating box score. After going scoreless from the field against Western Carolina, the sophomore guard at least found some production against Wofford, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
Still, the efficiency wasn’t there. He shot 2-of-10 overall and 1-of-4 from three-point range.
Malone had described Denis as a potential breakout player for the Tar Heels this offseason, but that kind of leap hasn’t shown up yet.
In Other News...
UNC Just Lost A Key Path To Cameron Fens Help
The latest legal turn around college basketball eligibility has put Cameron Fens in a precarious spot, and North Carolina is watching closely. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and vacated the nationwide injunction in Wisne v. NCAA, a ruling that had been part of the broader fight over fifth-year players seeking another season of eligibility.
For Fens, the impact is immediate because he is still tied up in a separate Tennessee case, where the state Court of Appeals stayed his injunction and left him ineligible for now. His path back onto the court now hinges entirely on how that Tennessee lawsuit plays out, leaving UNC with one fewer avenue for help and another unresolved eligibility question hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got A Real Shot At A Five-Star Guard
Brady Pettigrews recruitment is starting to take shape, and North Carolina is firmly in the mix. The five-star guard has trimmed his list to 10 programs, putting the Tar Heels alongside a heavy group that includes Duke, Kentucky, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and others, and he recently wrapped up an official visit to Chapel Hill.
Pettigrew is currently ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2028, which already makes him one of the most coveted guards in the country. There is also growing speculation that he could reclassify into an earlier class, a possibility that would only heighten the urgency around his recruitment, even if no decision has been confirmed yet. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Delivered The Response Fans Needed After Early Criticism
After an uneven opener, North Carolina answered with the kind of complete effort fans had been waiting to see, rolling past Wofford 109-70 in its second game of the season. The Tar Heels looked far more connected on both ends, and the box score reflected it, with five players finishing in double figures and Terrence Brown pacing the way with 21 points.
Maximo Adams added a double-double as UNC controlled the glass and showed the depth that had been missing a game earlier. It was the sort of response that does not erase early questions, but it does give the Tar Heels a much better baseline to build from as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]