Michael Malone’s first UNC roster construction period came to a close with the addition of South Dakota transfer center Cameron Fens on Friday.
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Despite the coach arriving just in time for the April transfer portal window, he brought in talent to retool a roster that lost two players — Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar — to the NBA after finishing fourth in the ACC.
The Tar Heels’ 2026-27 roster has drawn middling predictions, being named in the “next five” among ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 rankings last week. Meanwhile, analyst Jon Rothstein had them at No. 30 back in June.
“Malone should be an upgrade on the X’s and O’s and strategy front,” CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter wrote in July, “but this roster doesn’t scream ACC contender at the moment. Caleb Wilson, you are missed.”
Fans will want more from UNC after last year’s collapse against VCU in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64.
Guard: Neoklis Avdalas
Guard: Terrence Brown
Guard: Matt Able
Forward: Jarin Stevenson
Center: Cameron Fens
Malone primarily focused on the guard room in the transfer portal, adding Brown from Utah. Brown scored 19.9 points and dished out 3.8 assists per game last season. The senior combo guard is shifty and generates production from drives. He isn’t an elite shooter, but he can knock 3-pointers down, ending last season at 32.7% with volume.
Neoklis Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 guard from Virginia Tech provides high-level playmaking and a size advantage. The Kalamata, Greece native averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists last season. However, his upside didn’t always show in the way of efficiency last year, as he shot 38.6% from the floor.
Matt Able, a rare transfer from N.C. State, brings 3-point shooting prowess. While he only played 21.7 minutes as a freshman for the Wolfpack, he shot 35.5% from beyond the arc and averaged 8.8 points per game.
Able originally declared for the NBA Draft, but withdrew to enroll at UNC.
“I like the fit of those three guys together,” Field of 68 co-founder Jeff Goodman told 247Sports. “I like the size of Neo, the ball handling ability, the passing. Terrence can just go rock, go score and be a secondary ball handler. Able is a wing with size who can shoot the hell out of the ball.”
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Able and Avdalas are projected second-round NBA Draft picks heading into the season, with some analysts even giving Able first-round hype.
The forward room is a bit more of a question mark as returner Jarin Stevenson expects to slot in at the No. 4 spot. Meanwhile, Malian freshman Sayon Keita, who last played in Spain, and Fens will compete for the starting center role.
Fens — a player benefiting from a Colorado injunction allowing class of 2022 high school players to gain a fifth year of eligibility — is a large body to add to the paint. He averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with the Coyotes, but his ability to make an impact at the high-major level is a question mark as he makes the jump.
Keita is a high-upside player, but how college-ready the 18-year-old will be remains to be seen. He’ll be a late arrival coming to campus from overseas, which could hinder his ability to earn a starting spot immediately.
While UNC’s 2026-27 roster isn’t overflowing with potential All-Americans and has quality questions in the paint, it shapes up to be deeper than last year’s team, which was too often reliant on Wilson and Veesaar.
Four-star freshman Maximo Adams could leverage his three-level scoring ability to pick up the sixth-man role. Alongside him, the Tar Heels bench has numerous apt options, including Isaiah Denis, Jaydon Young, Cade Bennerman, Kevin Thomas and Alex Samodurov.
UNC has the 19th-best odds at +4000 to win the national championship, according to DraftKings.
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