Since the season ended seven weeks ago, a lot has changed in what can best be described as a whirlwind of moves that have changed almost the entire landscape of the North Carolina Men’s basketball roster. From graduations to NBA draft entries to transfers to coaching changes, this roster has undergone a ton and if you are like me, it may get difficult to keep track of everything. So with that in mind, lets take a look at the current state of the roster.
Bigs
The front court probably saw the biggest transition this offseason, with five of the six big men departing from last season’s team. Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson both entered the draft and Zayden High, James Brown, and Ivan Matlekovic all transferred out.
Jarin Stevenson is the lone returning big and will play a huge role in Coach Malone’s first season as head coach after averaging career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, assists, and free throw percentage this past season. Stevenson also brings roster versatility with the ability to play at the 3, 4, and 5.
As this became an area of biggest need, the coaching staff hit the portal hard and brought in Maxim Logue from FAU and Cade Bennerman from Northwestern. Logue’s numbers may not look great, averaging 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds, but he also only played 11 minutes per game last year. In his lone game playing over 20 minutes, he had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime win over Charlotte. He may just need an opportunity, and with the players UNC currently has, he shouldn’t need to play more than 20 minutes a game this season anyways. That may be enough for him to get those numbers closer to 10 and 5 on the season, a respectable average for a backup big.
Bennerman did nothing last season for Northwestern as he got pneumonia and ended up redshirting for the season. Worst case, Bennerman is a replacement for Matlekovic, a seven footer who the team can practice against (you can’t simulate height). Best case is he is a starting big man. More likely than not, he takes on the James Brown role — just with a few more minutes — and provides Coach Malone with another rotation option in the post.
North Carolina also received a commitment from a highly touted international player in Sayon Keita, another seven-footer with the potential to start. Much like Bennerman though, I think his range is also anywhere from big practice player to solid starter (though maybe not to begin the season).
Wings
Much like with the bigs, the wings also saw a lot of transition with the transfers of Jonathan Powell and Luka Bogavac. As has been the case for the past couple of seasons — and depending on your definition of a wing — the position has been thin.
However, North Carolina did add to this group, starting by retaining a big recruit in Maximo Adams who should be able to provide help at both the 3 and 4 this upcoming season.
North Carolina also brought back Jayden Young, while adding Matt Able from NC State. Young and Able can each play the two or the three which, along with Adams and Stevenson, further adds even more versatility to Coach Malone’s lineups.
UNC should also return John Holbrook in a deep bench role.
Guards
Between Trimble exhausting his eligibility (though that could change, pending a decision from the NCAA) and the transfers of Dixon and Evans, the Tar Heels saw the departure of all their main ball handlers this past season.
To fix that, North Carolina brought in Neoklis Avdalas from Virginia Tech. Avdalas provides the team with a guy to run the offense through, as he averaged nearly five assists a game last season for the Hokies. At 6’9”, Avdalas also presents matchup issues for a lot of teams as he is a lot bigger than your average guard.
The Tar Heels also brought in Terrence Brown from Utah, while retaining Isaiah Denis and bringing in Malloy Smith as a recruit. Brown is a basket getter, a trait that can sometimes be highly underrated, and Denis was highly recruited before missing most of last season either for injury or coaching decisions.
Smith and Evan Smith (no relation) should provide good practice guards for the team.
Open Spots
North Carolina can have up to 15 players on this upcoming roster. Currently the team has four bigs, four wings, and five guards. That adds up to 13 roster spots spoken for, leaving two open slots available. The Tar Heels should probably bring in another big and another wing/guard. Depending on your mood about who the team already has, those guys could either be starters (if a good player pulls out of the draft process) or good depth pieces for rotation and practice purposes.
Starting Five
As I mentioned earlier, this team provides a lot of positional versatility that will allow Coach Malone to get the five best guys on the floor, whether to start or end the game, and can matchup well depending on opponents, with an ability to go small and big.
If I was making the choice (which I clearly am not), based on who is currently on the roster, I would start the following five:
This lineup allows UNC to get their five best guys on the floor. Sure, Stevenson at the 5 may not be ideal, but I am not sure any of the other bigs are ready to start. Obviously, if UNC brings in a more ready starting center, then he moves in and Stevenson moves down to the four, which in turn moves Adams to the bench. Also, if UNC adds another wing like a Juke Harris (not saying we will get him, just an example), that would similarly move Able to the bench.
Overall, though I know the team still needs a few more pieces, the Tar Heels currently have a team that I believe can compete as constructed and may be even more dangerous with the right final couple of additions. It has a lot of versatility, some leadership and experience, and some players who could develop into key pieces for the tournament.
What do you think of the current roster? Let us know in the comments below.
