What To Watch for in UNC Basketball Final Exhibition Game

The North Carolina Tar Heels will play their final exhibition game on Tuesday night against Charlotte.

It's been a mixed-bag preseason for the Tar Heels, who have split their first two exhibition games, with an 88-70 win over USC and a 76-58 loss to Indiana. The record isn't what matters. What's important is the team's performance, which has left much to be desired for large stretches.

Charlotte isn't on par with North Carolina's previous two opponents, so Michael Malone's team needs to capitalize on the step down in competition. Again, the result of the game doesn't mean much - although a loss to Charlotte would be concerning. What's important is the Tar Heels showing signs of improvement in areas that have underwhelmed in the first two contests. With that in mind, here are three things to watch for in North Carolina's final exhibition matchup.

Perimeter Shooting

One aspect that's supposed to be a major improvement from last season's team is three-point shooting. In 2025, North Carolina was dreadful from beyond the arc and struggled with knocking down free throws. Upon his arrival, head coach Michael Malone made it clear this year's roster is centered around the backcourt.

The Tar Heels' brass wasted no time revamping the backcourt, signing Neoklis Avdalas, Terrence Brown, and Matt Able in the transfer portal. Avdalas and Brown have plenty of room to grow in their shooting efficiency, but they should improve in that department under Malone. Meanwhile, Able was a sound perimeter shooter in his lone season at North Carolina State.

Despite that, the Tar Heels have shot 39.3 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from three-point range. It goes without saying that there needs to be a significant uptick in shooting efficiency against Charlotte on Tuesday night. This is an opportunity for several players to gain some confidence heading into the regular season.

Malone's System Coming to Fruition

We've yet to see the Tar Heels' offense fire on all cylinders, which may be the most disappointing aspect of these performances. A major factor in North Carolina's inability to find a rhythm is the roster's lack of cohesion and chemistry. That makes a lot of sense with 11 newcomers in the rotation.

Nevertheless, several players are still acclimating themselves to Malone's system. It's only been two games, so it's premature to panic. That said, North Carolina's offensive sets need to be sharper and generate open looks more consistently.

Players Needing a Strong Outing

Overall, the Tar Heels have been underwhelming in their preseason games, but several players have stood out like a sore thumb. Those players include Brown and Alexandros Samodurov.

Brown has been a non-factor in both games, failing to resemble the player he was at Utah. Now, it's only two games, so don't read too much into the performance. However, it's safe to say that the 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard needs to prove why North Carolina aggressively pursued him in the transfer portal.

Meanwhile, Samodurov has been irrelevant, with five points and seven rebounds while shooting 1-of-7 from the field through the two exhibition games. His lack of physicality has been a major factor in his struggles in those games.