By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — It was his energy and tough defense that led Jaydon Young to start five consecutive games in the middle of ACC play last season.
Now playing for Coach Michael Malone, who values good defenders to fuel the fast pace he seeks, Young has a chance to play a bigger role in Carolina’s rotation this season if his shooting gets better.
Young entered the transfer portal, but that lasted about two days. A conversation with Malone brought him back for his senior season.
Young said the decision to stay never took long, and the Goldsboro native described Chapel Hill as the place he had always wanted to be after playing his first two seasons at Virginia Tech.
“The opportunity he was presenting me with was undeniable,” said Young, who scored 53 points over 227 minutes last season, shooting 30% from the floor and 28.3% from 3-point range. “I wanted to be here. I feel like it’s really a family culture. I got to experience that last year. I feel like a lot of people nowadays are running from adversity and competition, even. But I stay put.”
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Young said the traits that earned him a starting role for a few games will carry over, and he wants to add more of a voice. He said he tried to bring a spark wherever Carolina asked him to play.
“What I showed last year was competitiveness, being gritty,” Young said. “No matter what my position was or my role on the team, I was just trying to come in and provide that spark. I think this year I can do the same thing, just being more of a vocal leader.”
His motivation has also changed off the court. Young became a father this offseason, and he wears a bracelet every day that reminds him of his daughter. He said he will probably leave it off during games but plans to keep it close in other settings and during warmups.
Young said the bracelet has become a source of perspective during workouts.
“It reminds me every day, I can make it through anything,” he said. “I can push through these workouts. I can do anything for my teammates, no matter what it is.”
Malone has made an early impression on his players, and Young pointed to the first day of practice as the moment that stood out.
“The energy level on the very first day was eye-opening, just to see the passion that he brought to it,” Young said. “He’s getting in the drills, he’s guarding, he’s doing everything, just being interactive with us. He’s bringing a passion to it and a belief that he actually thinks that we can be good.”
As one of the few returning players from last season, Young said he feels a responsibility to pass along what he learned from teammates and alumni. He credited the leadership of last year’s group, and said the lessons from those players and from the alumni who worked out with the team over the summer built on what he absorbed as a first-year Tar Heel.
“I think it’s almost my obligation to bring it to these guys,” Young said.
That includes a faster style of play, which Young said suits the roster Malone has assembled.
“I think this year we have the guys, the athletes,” Young said. “I think everyone is willing and actually wants to do what coaches are asking us to do. It’s everybody being able to get those first three steps and get out.”
Defense, the trait that first earned him minutes, remains his calling card. Young said Malone does not need to say much on the subject, because the coach’s expectations are clear.
“He demands that of us,” Young said. “So, defense is going to come naturally for us.”
Young’s shooting improvement will come largely through extra work. The program has built pre-practice and post-practice shooting sessions into the routine, with assistant coaches leading small groups.
“We’re working on shooting, working on things that we might do in the game,” said Young, who has 19 career games with multiple 3-pointers and six with at least three 3s. Only one of those 19 was last season, with his career-high five for Virginia Tech against Miami on Feb. 22, 2023, when he scored a career-high 27 points.
Young said the staff asks players what they want to focus on, and that he has taken advantage. He also said the extra work matches what he does during individual workouts.
“I think everybody on this team is a hard worker,” Young said. “We all get in here on our own time and put in our own reps.”
Young does not lack self-belief, and he said those around him share it.
“I have a lot of confidence,” Young said. “I believe in myself a lot, and my teammates believe in me a lot. My coach believes in me a lot, so I know I put the work in when they pass me the ball.”
He also now had a daughter to play for.
| 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 | 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 @UNC_Basketball
