North Carolina’s bench looks a lot different now, and that’s the point.
After last season’s depth gave the Tar Heels a boost under Hubert Davis before the role-player production tailed off, the roster has been overhauled by the front office and the new coaching staff. This group is built with more established veterans and more pieces that should matter across the full season. With that in mind, the bench conversation turns to what each reserve can realistically provide.
One of the most intriguing names is freshman forward Adams, who had been projected as a starter for a while before Matt Able officially signed with North Carolina in the transfer portal. Even with that change, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward still matters plenty for the Tar Heels.
He’s a 5-star recruit who can score in a hurry, and he does it in a few different ways - getting to the rim, stopping for a pull-up jumper, or knocking down catch-and-shoot looks from deep. Under Michael Malone, Adams has a chance to become a dangerous scorer off the bench and could land in the 10-12 points per game range.
In the frontcourt, Samodurov is in a spot where his role could shift depending on availability and lineup needs. With Cameron Fens no longer part of the equation in games for the time being, he’s a candidate to start at center, though Sayon Keita appears better suited for that job because of his frame.
Even so, Samodurov brings a lot to the table. His passing, shooting, and ball-handling give him a unique skill set, and those traits could make him a real two-way force at power forward.
The upside is obvious: he has a chance to become an elite offensive piece and a reliable defender.
Brizzi brings a very different profile. He’s headed into his fifth program in as many years after spending the 2025 season at Buffalo, and his lane in Chapel Hill seems pretty clear.
The 6-foot-3, 193-pound guard shot 48.0 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range last season, and with so many playmaking guards and wings on this roster, he may end up living almost entirely as a perimeter catch-and-shoot option. He won’t be asked to chase the 14.5 points per game he put up last season, but reaching 40 percent from beyond the arc is well within reach.
Thomas also arrives with a story shaped by change. He originally committed to LSU, then left after a coaching change, and Malone landed the 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward on the same day as his official visit.
With so many scoring options already in place and Thomas still developing parts of his game, the numbers probably won’t jump off the page in 2026. But his defense should.
His quick hands and athleticism should show up right away, and he has the tools to be one of the team’s best perimeter, on-ball defenders while contributing in modest ways offensively.
In Other News...
Pat McAfee Just Put UNC In A Spotlight Few Expected
Pat McAfee has never been shy about making noise, and his latest football forecast did exactly that for Bill Belichicks North Carolina program. The former NFL punter turned ESPN analyst went out on a limb by saying the Tar Heels will win the ACC in the 2026 season, a pick that immediately stands apart from the more familiar chatter around Miami and the usual preseason hierarchy.
For UNC, it is the kind of attention that can both flatter and complicate the moment. The Tar Heels are still working against the memory of last seasons results and the projection gap that comes with it, so a prediction like this puts an unusually bright spotlight on what Belichick is trying to build in Chapel Hill. Whether McAfee is ahead of the curve or just enjoying the shock value, he has certainly given this program a higher-profile target to chase. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs New Big Could Decide How Dangerous This Offense Becomes
North Carolinas offseason makeover has put a spotlight on Sayon Keita, the former Barcelona center whose arrival could end up shaping how far this group can go. Michael Malone made clear the staff sees more than just size in Keita, pointing to his value as a defender, his ability to guard multiple positions and the potential he brings as a playmaker in a system that wants to play fast and keep pressure on opponents.
The intriguing part is how much his growth on offense could matter for the Tar Heels ceiling. If Keita becomes more than a stopper inside the paint and starts giving North Carolina another reliable threat in the flow of the game, it could open up the pace and spacing Malone wants. If he stays mostly on the defensive side of the ledger, the offense may still work, but it would look a lot different than the version this roster seems built to become. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Still Faces One Big UNC Question After Opening Win
Bill Belichicks first season in Chapel Hill ended at 4-8, so the Tar Heels badly needed a cleaner start this fall, and they got one by knocking off TCU in their opener. North Carolina had enough defensive pop to make the night feel different, with Xavier Lewis and Melkart Abou-Jaoude helping set the tone, while Billy Edwards Jr. found support from Jelani Thurman and Jaylen McGill on the other side of the ball.
The bigger question now is whether that opening performance can become something more than a good September snapshot. North Carolina gets East Tennessee State next, another chance to show the win over TCU was a sign of real progress under Belichick rather than just a promising first step in a season that still needs proof. [Read more 🡒]