By R.L. Bynum
Coach Michael Malone got the backcourt addition he needed to fill the roster of his first Carolina team when former Buffalo guard Angelo Brizzi, who began his college career at Villanova, committed to the Tar Heels according to multiple reports.
Brizzi, 6–3, 193 pounds, who visited UNC last month, will be a valued addition as an older guard who has seen multiple systems, can handle the ball, can make perimeter shots and would not need the ball or the spotlight.
Malone is expected to start Utah transfer Terrence Brown and Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, with guards off the bench Brizzi, Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis and Evan Smith.
In that setup, Brizzi is a veteran insurance policy, a proven second-unit option, and a player with enough experience to stabilize a possession or a game.
Brizzi, who turns 25 on Nov. 5, has played 105 career games across four schools and made 69 starts, moving from a high-major bench role to larger responsibilities at Davidson and Longwood before becoming a full-time starter at Buffalo.
There is also some history here with UNC. He took an unofficial visit to UNC during his high school recruitment, the same weekend future Tar Heels Caleb Love and Walker Kessler were on campus, before eventually committing to Villanova in July 2020.
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Brizzi’s path through college basketball has been unusually long and unusually winding, and that is part of his appeal. He signed with Villanova as part of a highly regarded recruiting class after averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game at Highland High School and helping the program to a 23–3 record.
Jay Wright, who recruited him at Villanova but never coached him, called Brizzi “an outstanding guard who brings a great feel for the game as the son of a coach,” and added, “He is an excellent shooter who is capable of playing either guard position. We believe Angelo has all the ingredients needed to become a complete Villanova guard.”
Things did not fully develop for him there. Brizzi redshirted in 2021–22, then appeared in nine games in 2022–23 before entering the transfer portal in December of that season.
He transferred to Davidson and played a larger role in the 2023–24 season, appearing in 32 games with 15 starts while averaging 5.6 points and 1.6 assists.
When Davidson announced his addition, coach Matt McKillop said, “Angelo has the ability to do many things with and without the ball in his hands, but he brings a high level of toughness and work ethic having come from winning programs, both in high school and college.”
From Davidson, Brizzi moved to Longwood, where his production and efficiency began to climb. He played in all 32 games for the Lancers in 2024–25, started 22, averaged 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals, and made a career-high 40.2% of his 3-point attempts.
The biggest jump came last season at Buffalo. Brizzi started all 32 games, averaged 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists, shot a career-high 48.0% from the floor, 37.3% from 3-point range and a career-high 83.4% at the free throw line.
Brizzi scored at least 21 points eight times last season, topped by a career-high 27 points in an 86–82 overtime win Feb. 21 at UMass. He has scored multiple 3-pointers 26 times in his career, topped by eight last season in a 26-point game as Buffalo lost 81–69 at South Alabama on Feb. 7. His career-high in assists is six, which he has produced three times, the last on Feb. 28 in a 75–70 home loss to Central Michigan.
He had 58 steals last season, the most by a Bull since 2019–20.
Brizzi came to Buffalo to play for former Villanova assistant coach George Halcovage III.
“He is a talented veteran guard that will make an impact on both ends of the floor for us on day one,” Halovage said when Brizzi committed to Buffalo.
Brizzi has described his game in similarly direct terms.
“I feel that I have a really strong ability to shoot from range off the dribble and off the catch as well,” he told Zagsblog when he was a high school senior.
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alex Samodurov (SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Former players at other schools
| Player | Class | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday, ACCN | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | 7:30 Tuesday, ACCN Extra | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday, 7:30, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday, 5:30, ABC | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo via ubbulls.com
