By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — One of Michael Malone’s biggest early tasks was rebuilding a frontcourt gutted by the departures of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar to the NBA.
Months later, the first-year coach made clear he believes the group he assembled gives Carolina exactly the kind of size, length and versatility he wants to build around.
“Obviously, selfishly we all wanted Henri to come back, but he’s in a really good opportunity with the Atlanta Hawks, and Henri will always be a Tar Heel and always welcome back,” Malone said.
The centerpiece of that rebuild is Sayon Keita (pronounced SIGH-on KAY-tuh), a 7–1, 205-pound prospect Malone scouted personally in Huelva, Spain, shortly after taking the job.
Malone called the freshman a player with “just unlimited potential,” and pointed to Keita’s commitment as pivotal in shaping the roster around him.
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— Film, film, film: Inside Malone’s five-month portal education
— Malone talks about how he is dealing with the eligibility limbo of transfer center Cameron Fens.
“The size, the length, the versatility, a beautiful young man, and when you think about his journey coming here to Chapel Hill and how well he’s fit in and how comfortable he is, that’s something that I’ve really enjoyed watching,” Malone said. “Sayon is going to be a hell of a player.”
Malone further described him as a player whose game may already exceed expectations. He called Keita (top photo) “a terrific runner of the floor” and “an exceptional pick-and-roll player,” someone who can “catch the ball in the pocket and make plays.”
What stood out most to Malone, though, was his defensive upside, which showed up when he played in Spain’s top-tier Liga ACB league.
“The area that translates … is his defense, his rim protection, not only blocking shots but changing shots,” Malone said. “If you’re a guy that can do that, be the anchor of your defense, you can run the floor, you can play pick-and-roll offense, and you can work to get second and third opportunities on the offensive glass, there is going to be minutes for you.”
Malone added that added strength and an expanded offensive skill set, including a pick-and-pop jumper, remain the next steps in Keita’s development.
“He’s intelligent, hardworking, bright, and I think the sky’s the limit,” Malone said.
Alongside Keita is 6–11, 225-pound junior Alexandros Samodurov, another overseas addition Malone brought in from the Greek club Promitheas Patras.
“Samo is a skilled big. He can be a four, he can be a five. He can stretch the floor, he can be a facilitator,” Malone said, adding that both Samodurov and Keita share “tremendous size and length and versatility.”
If Keita and Samodurov represent Carolina’s overseas pipeline, Cameron Fens represents its physical presence.
The South Dakota transfer drew a starkly different description from Malone than his two European additions.
“Now you’re talking about a grown-ass man, seven feet, 255 pounds, physical, strong, and a very talented player on top of that,” Malone said.
Fens’ situation, however, comes with an asterisk. The big man remains in eligibility limbo as he is currently ineligible to play a fifth college season, pending further court rulings.
“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. “All those things will kind of take care of themselves in the coming weeks.
“But 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, we love him, we care about him, we pour into him,” he said.
What happens if Fens doesn’t become eligible?
“Next man up,” he said. “We have Sayon Keita, we have Alexandros Samodurov, we have Cade Bennerman, we have Jarin Stevenson. We’ll figure out ways to cover up that void, if indeed we are playing without Cameron Fens.”
Stevenson, the roster’s lone returning scholarship front-court player, brings something the newcomers can’t: continuity, and a track record playing alongside NBA-bound teammates last season. Malone described Stevenson’s positional flexibility as central to his value.
“When you have the chance to play with two NBA players in Caleb and Henri, Jarin was a three, he was a four, he was a five at times, and I think that’s kind of his superpower, the versatility that Jarin Stevenson brings,” Malone said.
He added that assistant coaches Sean May and Pat Sullivan, who coached Stevenson last season, have noticed real growth.
“It’s always neat for me to listen to the coaches that have been here, like Sean and Sully, and for them to tell me Jarin is doing things that they haven’t seen him do, and not just making shots and making plays, but how he’s doing it,” said Malone, who has challenged Stevenson to match that growth with a louder on-court presence.
“You might be quiet off the court, but on the court I need you to be loud, let your game be loud, and I think Jarin’s done a really good job,” Malone said.
Rounding out the group are two more additions Malone highlighted for their versatility: 6–7, 220-pound Maximo Adams, a freshman he called one of the best high school players in the country a year ago, and Bennerman, a 7–0, 205-pound Northwestern transfer.
“Maxi’s versatility is a four-three, three-four; he’s a basketball player,” pointing to his ability to play both inside and on the perimeter as a defining trait.
Taken together, Malone described the group’s collective outlook simply.
“I like our front court,” he said, “and obviously our goal every day is to get better, and our guys have been working very hard towards that.”
With practice not opening until Sept. 21 and the season opener against Western Carolina still weeks away after that on Nov. 2, Malone said the priority now is building chemistry among a group he’s still getting to know himself.
“Every opportunity we’re on the court together, trying to build something special,” he said.
| 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
Photos via @UNC_Basketball
