By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — During his freshman season at N.C. State, Matt Able never started and was often more of a catch-and-shoot player who defended well but didn’t get a chance to show off his diverse skill set.
That was evident during his impressive showing at the NBA Draft Combine, when he showed off playmaking skills that scouts didn’t know about. Those qualities and others will undoubtedly be unlocked in Coach Michael Malone’s system at Carolina.
Able said the Combine opened evaluators’ eyes in a way his role at N.C. State never allowed.
“When I played in the Combine, they didn’t know I could playmake as good as I did just because of my role last year,” Able said. Teams also stressed that he needs to add weight and keep improving defensively, an area where he said he has room to grow. “I feel like I was a solid defender last year, but I can make even greater steps in that too.”
The 6–5, 200-pound sharpshooter showed early flashes with the Wolfpack, averaging 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while providing ball pressure and length on the perimeter. He shot 41.6% from the floor and 35.5% from 3-point range.
Malone arrived in Chapel Hill after 25 years in the NBA and was hired the day the transfer portal opened, so he had to learn the college market quickly. He said his early weeks revolved around watching video of potential additions, including Able. “It was literally Groundhog Day,” Malone said at his preseason news conference. “It was film, film, film, getting a feel for who Matt Able is.”
The film showed a guard with a future at the next level. Able tested the draft waters before returning to school, and Malone said the interest was legitimate. “Matt Able easily could have stayed in the NBA draft and been drafted this year,” Malone said.
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Able said he went through the process looking for certainty, and Chapel Hill won out when he did not find it.
“I was seeking first-round guarantees and a lock that I could be a first-round pick,” Able said. “And the situation at UNC was so good I had to come back.”
Able was also clear that the process was not about proving anything to himself. He said it was about giving others a look at his full game.
“It was never really a question of me believing in what I can do,” said Able, who scored 36 points and eight 3-pointers during a two-game run against Miami and UNC last season.
Malone sees plenty left to unlock, saying that Able “proved last year at N.C. State that he can come off the bench and impact the game with his 3-point shooting, his defense, but I think he has a lot more to show.”
The coach said that includes creating for others.
“I think Matt is a guy that can also be a facilitator and a playmaker, as well as being an elite shooter and scorer,” Malone said. “And I think Matt Able’s got just incredible potential as well.”
Able described what that role could look like in Malone’s offense, noting that it will change depending on the opponent and the coverage the Tar Heels see.
“I think it’s a lot of different things: ball screens, bringing it up, pushing your transition,” Able said.
He will do it alongside three other portal additions in the backcourt, Terrence Brown Jr., Neo Avdalas and Angelo Brizzi, and Malone is high on the group.
“I think [Brown, Avdalas and Able] combine for one of the more dynamic and exciting backcourts in all of college basketball,” Malone said.
Able said his pairing with Brown, a player teammates and fans have compared to him in appearance, should work because their games complement each other. He described himself as the shooter of the two. “I feel like both of us can play on and off the ball,” Able said.
Able said the scoring load will shift from night to night depending on the matchup. He rattled off the names of the teammates who could take over a given game, starting with Avdalas and then moving on to Brown and himself. That kind of balance, he added, is a strength of the roster: “Not just being so dependent on one person.”
Malone said that flexibility is by design.
“I think our backcourt has size, versatility, and we can go in a lot of different ways with how we use that backcourt,” he said.
Able is playing for a first-year head coach for the second straight season, but he said his role is different this time. As a freshman under Coach Will Wade, he was still figuring out where he fit. Now he is comfortable speaking up.
“I’m able to be more of a leader and be more of a vocal person on the team,” Able said. “I feel like I’m the hardest worker in any gym I walk into.”
The possibilities with Able in that talented backcourt will be interesting to follow and tough for opponents to defend.
| 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 @UNC_Basketball
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