By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Cameron Fens spent the better part of August believing that he would finish his college basketball career in Chapel Hill. Now, with North Carolina’s season opener less than two months away, the 7–0 center still doesn’t know if he’ll be allowed to play in it.
Fens, a graduate transfer from South Dakota, committed to Coach Michael Malone’s program on Aug. 8, filling what became North Carolina’s sixth transfer portal addition and 11th newcomer overall, seemingly completing the Tar Heels’ first roster under the first-year coach.
“He’s eligible to work out and practice and lift and condition, and he’s a huge part of our team right now,” Malone said Thursday morning at a Smith Center press conference. “All those things will take care of themselves in the coming weeks.”
Fens, who averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, earning First Team All-Summit League and Summit League All-Defensive Team honors, is part of a group caught in the middle of a legal fight over the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility model, which grants players five years of college.
That model won’t take full effect until the 2027 recruiting class, and it includes no language grandfathering in athletes whose fourth seasons of eligibility wrapped up last season. Fens, part of the 2022 signing class, fell squarely into that gap.
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To fight for an extra season, Fens entered the transfer portal on April 6 and joined a lawsuit against the NCAA filed in Tennessee. That case initially broke in his favor. A ruling granted a temporary injunction covering 19 players, including Fens, requiring the NCAA to treat them as eligible for the 2026–27 season and barring the organization from impeding their recruitment, transfer or certification.
The NCAA appealed, and the Tennessee Court of Appeals sided with the organization. The court issued an order staying the injunction that had shielded Fens and 18 other plaintiffs, including former Tar Heel Jalen Washington (who committed to Tennessee), leaving Fens currently ineligible unless another ruling intervenes.
“The luxury that we have is that he is cleared to practice and play and be a part of this team, and just like every other player on our roster,” Malone said. “We love him, we care about him, we pour into him, and I think Cameron and his family have felt that from day one when he decided to come and join the Tar Heel family.”
If Fens remains sidelined, North Carolina’s frontcourt options will only include players who aren’t as big and physical. Absent his addition, the Tar Heels would lean on Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov and Cade Bennerman, none of whom have played college basketball, with Keita in particular still adjusting after arriving from Barcelona only weeks earlier.
Malone, describing the frontcourt he pieced together during his first months on the job, said Fens brought something different from the rest of the group.
“[Fens is the] complete opposite of Samo, complete opposite of Sayon,” Malone said. “Now you’re talking about a grown-ass man, seven feet, 255 pounds, physical, strong, and a very talented player on top of that.”
Fens isn’t alone in the fallout from the flurry of court rulings. The stay affects athletes who graduated high school in 2022 and are seeking a fifth season, including UNC placekicker Rece Verhoff and former Carolina guard Seth Trimble, who transferred to Louisville after four seasons in Chapel Hill. A temporary restraining order out of Jefferson County, Kentucky, went in Trimble’s favor to increase his chances of being eligible.
For Fens, the whiplash has been particularly jarring given how quickly his commitment came together. He played two seasons at Illinois-Chicago before transferring to South Dakota, where his production spiked, and he described the move to Chapel Hill as “one of the most surreal moments of my life.”
What happens if Fens can’t play?
“Next man up. When you have a season, obviously that starts early November, there’s going to be points in the season when you’re missing players, and so have a next man-up mentality,” said Malone, pointing to Keita, Bennerman and Jarin Stephenson. “So, we’ll figure out ways to cover up that void, if indeed we are playing without Cameron Fens. But right now, I’m just thrilled that Cameron’s a part of this team, and that he’s working on not only improving his game every day, but helping us improve as a team every day as well.”
For now, North Carolina waits for the ultimate resolution to Fens’ eligibility.
| 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 | Alexandros Samodurov (Alex-ANN-drose 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.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | 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 |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | 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 | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 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 |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC opponents
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Don’t play: Clemson
Photo via goyotes.com
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