North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball 2026-27 Preview

Just like their football program did in 2025, North Carolina basketball is in the midst of a complete overhaul. Can former long-time NBA head coach Michael Malone get the Tar Heels back to being serious NCAA title contenders?

UNC Tar Heels Hoops 2026-27 Preview

UNC surprisingly fired Hubert Davis this offseason, and more problematic, the Tar Heels didn’t have a plan. The Tar Heels parted ways with Davis, who was under contract through 2030, despite going 125-54 under him, which included four NCAA Tournaments and an appearance in the 2022 national championship game. The Heels won 20 or more games in each of the five seasons and won the ACC regular season crown in 2024. Granted, they failed to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament the past two years.

Now, UNC turns to Malone. Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship, has never been a college head coach. However, the 54-year-old — who played at Loyola (Maryland) — was a collegiate assistant from 1994-2001. He has a 510-394 career record.

Not only has Malone had to assemble a new coaching staff, but he has also had to rebuild the Tar Heels’ roster. Malone did retain Sean May, Pat Sullivan and Eric Hoots from Davis’ staff. Only five players from last year’s squad, which went 24-9 and finished fourth in the ACC at 12-6, return.

UNC basketball coach Michael Malone during his introductory press conference on April 7, 2026, inside the Smith Center. Photo Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

UNC’s 2026-27 Roster

Carolina lost Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesar to the NBA, along with Seth Trimble, who was recently ruled temporarily eligible for a fifth year and will play for Louisville in 2026-27. Malone also saw Derek Dixon (Arizona), Luka Bogavac, and Jonathan Powell transfer.

Senior forward Jair Stevenson is the main returnee. Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis also return and could be in the mix for playing time off the bench.

Stevenson produced a career year in his first year in Chapel Hill after transferring from Alabama, and he stepped up his production during ACC play. Overall, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds (1.4 offensive) with shooting splits of 47.0/29.5/74.2.

Stevenson projects as a key piece of Malone’s rotation, whether he comes off the bench or starts. The 6-10 forward, a former North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, is a high-IQ perimeter defender who can play either the 3 or 4.

Young struggled this past year in his first season at Chapel Hill after a decent sophomore campaign at Virginia Tech. The 6-4 combo guard could be in the mix for a rotation spot as a high-energy defensive spark off the bench.

Denis, the consensus No. 64 recruit in the class of 2025, only saw 33 minutes in 10 games last season. The 6-3 guard is an athletic slasher with a quick first step and defensive upside.

Tar Heels Newcomers

Malone has also brought in 11 newcomers with six transfers, four freshmen, and one international player. According to Inside Carolina, the Tar Heels have spent over $20 million on their new-look roster.

Matt Able, Neo Avdalas, and Terrence Brown headline the transfers. Able, the consensus No. 20 recruit in 2025, came off the bench for NC State last year and tested the NBA waters before deciding to land in Chapel Hill. Able projects to start on the wing for Malone and brings athleticism and shooting to the Tar Heels.

Avdalas, the No.84 recruit in 2024, had a solid freshman campaign at Virginia Tech. Avdalas, from Greece, projects as a Tar Heel backcourt starter, with excellent court vision and playmaking ability. He thrives in transition and pick-and-rolls.

Brown is a high-volume, versatile scorer who has averaged 20 points a game over the last two years —compiling 19.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals with shooting splits of 45.3/32.7/77.5 in 2025-26 at Utah. The 6-3 combo guard is at his best when getting downhill, as he has an explosive first step and is also a capable facilitator. He is also a fierce defender who can guard either backcourt position.

Buffalo transfer Angelo Brizzi and South Dakota transfer Cameron Fens also figure to be a major part of Malone’s rotation. However, Fens’ eligibility is in question, as is that of several other players, following the Tennessee Court of Appeals ‘ order granting a stay of the injunction last week.

“Cameron [Fens] is, simply stated, eligible to work out, practice, lift and condition,” Malone recently said. “He’s a huge part of our team right now. All of those things will take care of themselves in the coming weeks. But the luxury that we have is that he is cleared to practice, play and be a part of this team.”

Brizzi has improved each of his collegiate seasons and is coming off a career year, though he has moved around quite a bit—UNC is his fifth stop. While he is not a creator, the 6-3 guard is a good shooter off the catch and did a better job of drawing free throws this past campaign. He also has quick hands and does a good job as a help defender.

2026-27 Recruiting Class

Malone’s first recruiting class is pretty solid, with On3 ranking it the third best in the ACC and 18th in the country. Maximo Adams and Sayon Keita are the crown jewels of the recruiting class.

Adams is a big, versatile wing who is a three-level scorer and a strong rebounder. Adams possesses outstanding footwork and is at his best when operating out of the mid-range. The 6-7 forward excels at cutting to the basket and relocating to open spots. Additionally, he can guard 2-4 and should be a major contributor off the bench.

Keita is a long, athletic, 7-foot center with a 7-7 wingspan who thrives as a rim-runner and pick-and-roll. Keita is also an outstanding rebounder and rim-protector. The Mali native spent the last three seasons in the Barcelona pipeline, seeing limited time this past year with Barca — appearing in 15 games in Spanish ACB and EuroLeague contests, including four starts. He is expected to compete with 6-11 Greek center Alexandros Samodurov.

Samodurov spent the last four years in the Panathinaikos system, where he spent the last two-plus seasons with the main team in limited minutes. Samodurov is an athletic, versatile big who can shoot, handle, and attack. He averaged 3.1 points on 53.1% shooting and 1.5 rebounds in nine minutes for Panathinaikos this past year.

Thomas comes to the Tar Heels highly touted due to his athleticism and size. A high-flyer, Thomas thrives in the open court, though he is a capable producer in the half-court due to his cutting, passing, and decision-making ability.

UNC Tar Heels 2026-27 Rotation

Starters

PG: Terrence Brown

SG: Neo Avdalas

SF: Matt Able

PF: Jair Stevenson

C: Sayon Keita

Second Unit

6th: Alexandros Samodurov

7th: Maximo Adams

8th: Angelo Brizzi

9th: Cameron Fens (If eligible)

10th: Isaiah Denis

11th: Kevin Thomas

Deep Bench

Jaydon Young, Cade Bennerman, Malloy Smith, Evan Smith, John Holbrook

UNC Tar Heels Hoops Schedule

UNC has three preseason games against Southern California, Indiana, and Charlotte. The Tar Heels open their nonconference schedule with six straight home games, the most intriguing of which is against Georgia. Overall, they will host nine of their 14 opponents, with Butler and Arkansas (ACC/SEC Challenge) being the only other high-major opponents.

Carolina’s only true road game is at Georgetown on December 12. The Heels do have some interesting neutral court contests. UNC’s neutral court contests include West Virginia in Charlotte (Dick Vitale Invitational), Kentucky in New York (CBS Sports Classic), and Illinois in Nashville (Nashville Hoops Showdown).

For their 2026-27 ACC schedule, UNC will play home-and-away series against Duke and Louisville. The Tar Heels will not face Clemson this year.

The Tar Heels will also host: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, SMU, Stanford and
Virginia.

The Heels’ other road games: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

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Photo Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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