By: The Associated Press Posted:
North Carolina (24-9, 12-6 ACC)
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North Carolina (24-9, 12-6 ACC)
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North Carolina (24-9, 12-6 ACC)
The Tar Heels are making a significant pivot with the hiring of Michael Malone, who coached the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title. The school fired Hubert Davis after five seasons as the successor to Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams. It’s up to the 55-year-old Malone to jumpstart a program that struggled to maintain consistent gains under Davis. UNC is picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Players to watch
Jarin Stevenson (senior, F, 6-10, 220). Stevenson is UNC’s top returning scorer (8.1 points). The Alabama transfer arrived with the ability to stretch the floor, though he shot just 29.5% on 3s last year.
Neo Avdalas (sophomore, G/F, 6-9, 220). Avdalas transferred in from Virginia Tech, and he has potential as a playmaker with size. Avdalas averaged 12.1 points and 4.5 assists last year while posting a pair of 30-point outputs last year with the Hokies.
Matt Able (sophomore, G, 6-5, 200). Able transferred in from rival N.C. State, where he averaged 8.8 points and shot 35.5% on 3-pointers off the bench. Albe performed well at the NBA combine last summer before withdrawing to take a leading role with the Tar Heels.
Departures and arrivals
Freshman forward Caleb Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds before injuries cut short his season and he went on to become the No. 4 overall NBA draft pick. UNC also lost a reliable post presence in 7-footer Henri Veesaar (17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds) and senior guard Seth Trimble, who transferred to Louisville.
UNC has 247Sports’ No. 9- ranked transfer class with led by Avdalas, Able and Utah guard Terrence Brown (19.9 points last year). UNC’s top freshman arrivals are McDonald’s All-American forward Maximo Adams and Sayon Keita, a lean 6-11 forward with length and athleticism.
Top games
UNC opens the Malone era at home against Western Carolina on Nov. 2. The nonconference slate includes a game against West Virginia (Nov. 27), a visit from No. 12 Arkansas (Dec. 1) and a neutral-court game with No. 23 Kentucky (Dec. 19). UNC opens league play Dec. 30 at home against California, while the league slate includes the annual two-game set with second-ranked rival Duke (Feb. 13 and March 6).
Facts and figures
Malone is the first to lead the program without being a former UNC player or assistant coach since Frank McGuire from 1952-61, who preceded Dean Smith. … Malone coached the Nuggets for 10 seasons and had two seasons as head coach in Sacramento at the NBA level. … The Tar Heels have lost at least eight games for seven straight seasons. The last time they did that was from the 1948-49 to the 1954-55 seasons. … UNC has reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament only once in the past four seasons. … The Tar Heels lost their last three games to end the Davis era.
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