By R.L. Bynum
Justin Jackson isn’t worried about Michael Malone’s first Carolina team after a 76–58 exhibition loss at Indiana that left some fans uneasy.
Jackson said on the “Tar Heel Tribune Podcast” that the setting matters, as does Indiana’s veteran, physical front line. It was also the first game in a road environment for a roster that had played only one other exhibition, an 88–70 win over Southern Cal in Greensboro.
“I think when you take all of that into consideration, I’m not as worried as the average fan might be,” said Jackson, a member of the 2017 national championship team whose No. 44 hangs from the Smith Center rafters as an honored jersey.
That does not mean he believes everything is fine. Jackson pointed to a 20–10 offensive rebounding gap as the clearest problem and tied it to the continued absence of Cameron Fens, who has not yet been cleared to play.
“When you look at the offensive rebounding differential, you’re not going to win many games like that,” Jackson said.
He said the solution starts with Fens, whose eligibility would change what the Tar Heels ask of their young shot-blocker, Sayon Keita, who collected 12 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and two steals in 27 minutes against the Hoosiers.
“If Cameron is able at some point to get eligible, it completely changes that stat and the way that side of the basketball looks for this North Carolina team,” Jackson said.
Without him, Jackson said, the Tar Heels are asking a lot of their youngest big man against experienced competition.
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.
“You’re relying on an 18-year-old kid to go against those bigs that I was talking about on the front line,” Jackson said, “and to be the main guy having to defend those guys, rebound against them, and that’s tough.”
Jackson praised Keita’s work around the basket and noted that Indiana hesitated to attack after he swatted away five shots. He also said the freshman will need to adjust to the physical side of the college game as the season goes on.
“As the season goes on, I think him realizing the difference in physicality and having to be a little bit more physical, whatever that might look like for him, I think that’ll get better as he gets more and more comfortable,” Jackson said.
He did not place all of the responsibility on one player. Jackson described a first-half sequence in which Jarin Stevenson was left to compete for a rebound against what he recalled as three Indiana players, and the Hoosiers got the offensive board and scored. Malone called a timeout, and Jackson said he read the moment as a coach setting a standard.
“Coach Malone’s not going to hold any punches. And he’s going to hold guys accountable, which, as the season goes on, means that those guys are going to get better,” Jackson said.
Jackson also said Stevenson, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds in the Southern Cal game before a tougher outing at Indiana (3 points, 3 rebounds), is central to how high the team can climb.
“For this team to be the best they can be, [Stevenson] has to be as consistent as he possibly can,” Jackson said.
In Jackson’s view, the remedy for the rebounding problem is a team effort that begins before the Tar Heels even think about running.
“The number one thing is you got to secure the rebound before you can even get out in transition,” Jackson said.
If rebounding is the biggest concern, Jackson sees the most promise in the defense.
Carolina held Indiana to 33.3% shooting, and he said the roster’s length makes switching more effective than it was a year ago. With Avdalas a 6–9 point guard and Brown the smallest player in the starting lineup at 6–3, a switch now often sends a bigger defender to the ball.
“There’s just so much more size across the board for this team,” Jackson said.
He cautioned that communication still has room to improve, and reminded everyone that chemistry matters on that end of the floor as much as it does on offense.
“I think at times the communication can get better, and it will as the season goes on,” Jackson said, adding that he thought “that’s something that people don’t understand fully is how defensively you also have to gel.”
The other issue Jackson sees is rhythm in the backcourt, where Terrence Brown is adjusting to playing off the ball after being a ball-dominant guard at Utah, with Virginia Tech transfer Avdalas often starting the half-court offense. Jackson said the change can take a toll on a player who is used to controlling the game.
“Terrence is so used to having the ball, 35 minutes a game, and he obviously can put up big numbers with that,” Jackson said, adding that shooting slumps are often tied to that adjustment. “Basketball is a huge rhythm sport. And if you don’t have rhythm, then it’s going to be really difficult to be able to make shots.”
Even so, Jackson said Brown still brings something valuable whenever the offense bogs down.
“He’s that guy that if you need to go get a basket, you can give him the ball and he can probably go get one,” Jackson said.
Jackson sees a way for the pieces to fit if the big men learn their timing in ball screens. A well-run pick-and-roll with Avdalas, he said, could create more room for Brown.
“I think Neo can be a real dangerous threat out of that, which then will allow the space to be better for Terrence,” Jackson said.
He also said that some of Avdalas’ struggles against Indiana will correct themselves, pointing to shots around the basket that missed.
“It’s easy bunnies that he would probably make on a very consistent basis,” Jackson said.
More broadly, Jackson said the Tar Heels showed enough in Greensboro that fans should not read too much into one road loss, and that the growing pains are what any new group should expect.
“They showed glimpses in the USC game where I’m pretty sure if you look at the fan base, they were happy with the way they played,” Jackson said. “That just comes with the growing pains that will come with a brand-new team.”
The roster’s makeup, built largely through the transfer portal, looks different from what Carolina fans are used to, and Jackson said that makes a new approach from Malone reasonable. Carolina was also left out of the AP Top 25 preseason poll, which Jackson said could motivate the team.
“They’ll win some big games that’ll shock people because of those preseason rankings,” Jackson said.
For Jackson, the bigger point is that the games don’t count yet, and the roster has plenty of time to find itself under a coach he trusts.
“I think as time goes on, Michael Malone is such a good coach. I think he’ll have those guys a little bit more ready once the season starts up,” Jackson said.
You can watch the entire episode here.
Photo via YouTube screenshot
