By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — Michael Malone is the first to say he arrived at North Carolina as an outsider. He did not attend UNC or play for the Tar Heels, and he spent 25 years in the NBA before taking over a program steeped in tradition, taking the seat once held by Frank McGuire, Dean Smith and Roy Williams.
Malone said he spent the months since taking the job trying to close that distance.
Malone acknowledged that his status is hardly a secret around the program, and compared himself to McGuire, the Irishman from New York who built the Tar Heels into a national power in the 1950s.
That backdrop shaped one of his first major decisions after getting the job. Malone talked with Athletics Director Steve Newmark and longtime program Director of Operations Eric Hoots, and he spoke with Rasheed Wallace this summer at an AAU event in Memphis, as he planned a way to bring the program’s past back to campus.
“I wanted to find a way to connect with as much of this tremendous legacy, tradition, and family as I could,” Malone said.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
More on Tar Heels
— Although Fens won’t play, UNC’s exhibition with USC will show Malone ‘where we’re at’
— UNC’s men play four 9 p.m. games, three at noon; home men’s, women’s games overlap on Dec. 6
— Malone has lead guard group of ‘connectors’ with nobody called point guard
— Video, transcript of press conference for UNC at ACC Tipoff, plus long Malone breakout room interviews
The result was a basketball reunion that drew more than 150 former players, from Caleb Wilson, who was selected in last summer’s NBA Draft, to a player who is nearly 90 years old. Malone said the only requirement for attending was a Carolina connection, and it did not matter which coach a player had played for.
For Malone, the highlights were meeting the men who built the program’s history. He spent time with Charlie Scott, whose groundbreaking career he said he wanted to understand better, and with Jimmy Black, the New York City point guard on the 1982 national championship team.
But the moment that surprised him most came when he met Bobby Jones.
“When I was a young kid, I had all the Nike posters in my room, and there was a classic Secretary of Defense poster [of Jones], and I had that,” Malone said.
He thanked Jones for coming, and the reunion has carried over into the way he runs the program day to day. Former players now show up at practice on their own, and Malone said that is the kind of connection he hopes recruits notice when they visit campus.
Tyler Hansbrough has been in the gym, and Wilson asked Malone before one weekend practice whether he could attend.
Malone said his answer left no doubt about how he feels about having alumni around.
“Don’t you ever ask me that question again,” Malone said. “You can come. You can run practice if you want to.”
His staff reflects the same approach. Malone kept Sean May and Pat Sullivan, both former Tar Heels, after he was hired, and he added Brandon Robinson, another former Carolina player. He said Smith and Williams both understood the importance of bringing former Carolina players back into the program, and he sees himself doing the same.
That idea extends to the schedule. The third of three exhibition games is against Charlotte, which carries a Carolina connection of its own, since Wes Miller is in his first season coaching the 49ers and Marcus Paige is on his staff. Malone said he got to know Miller over the summer and had spoken with him again recently.
“I got to know Wes a little bit this summer,” Malone said. “It’ll be fun to bring him in this season.”
Malone is also bringing in King Rice and Monmouth during the regular season, a decision he said was just as intentional. Rice is a former Tar Heel, and Malone wanted to recognize what he did for the program. Former UNC players Brian Reese and Shammond Williams are on Rice’s staff.
“I think that was important to bring a guy like King, and all he did for this program many years ago,” Malone said.
None of that means Malone plans to run the program as a copy of the past. Asked how he balances Carolina’s style with his own tactical approach, he said he has great respect for the program’s tradition and history, including McGuire and Smith, but he has to coach in a way that is true to who he is.
He wants a team that defends, rebounds, plays at a fast pace and shares the ball, the same principles behind the Denver Nuggets team that won the 2023 NBA championship.
Malone said he is still learning the history he did not live and intends to keep honoring it where he can.
“I’m a new coach. I didn’t go to school here. I didn’t play here, but I’m learning some of the things that they’ve done in the past that resonate within me, and I want to honor that whenever I can,” Malone said.
Many reasons explain why worries about hiring “outside the family” have disappeared.
UNC schedule
| Date | Time | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro | ACCN |
| 18 | 5 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | Big Ten Network Plus |
| 27 | 7:30 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | ACCN Extra |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 24 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
| 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 |
Photo by Nell Redmond/theACC.com
3 Comments