North Carolina will be front and center on ESPN’s Big Monday schedule twice this winter, and both times, the Tar Heels will play in the first game of the doubleheaders, with each game at the Smith Center.
Category: Men's basketball
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UNC launches official liquor line ahead of football home opener
Tar Heels fans have long known how to celebrate a win, a rivalry, and pretty much anything involving the color Carolina blue. Now, for the first time, they can toast to it with something that shows their school spirit via official spirits. UNC Athletics has teamed up with North Carolina-based Cape Fear Distillery to launch the Spirit of Carolina Collection, the university’s first officially licensed line of Tar Heels-branded spirits.
Scorers, shooters and facilitators: Malone’s backcourt takes shape
CHAPEL HILL — Of the 16 players on Michael Malone’s first UNC roster, only two scholarship guards remain from last season’s group: Isaiah Dennis and Jaden Young. The rest of the backcourt had to be built from scratch after the departures of Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon, Kyan Evans and Jonathan Powell. Malone didn’t waste time.
Big expectations: Inside Malone’s retooling of UNC’s frontcourt
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.
Film, film, film: Inside Malone’s five-month portal education
CHAPEL HILL — Michael Malone spent 25 years in the NBA, the last 12 as a head coach in Denver, working with players whose games he knew inside and out before they ever stepped on the floor for him. When he took over at North Carolina in April, he inherited a completely different job, one that started with a stack of names he didn’t recognize.
Being ‘volleyball dad’ at UNC matches dramatically different for Malone this season
CHAPEL HILL — Michael Malone likes to call himself a “volleyball dad,” but the dynamics of that have changed dramatically from when he followed Bridget Malone’s freshman season with the Tar Heels. He might get recognized in the crowd because of his profile as an NBA coach who won a league title, but he could keep a low profile while watching his daughter’s matches.
Malone says his tough love about accountability, but comes with showing players he cares about them
CHAPEL HILL — Coach Michael Malone was known during his NBA coaching career for being direct with his players and applying tough love to make them better. Malone, about to start his first season as Carolina’s coach, said that will not change at the college level, but emphasized that it’s important to first let the players know that he loves them so that they know that any criticism is coming from a good place.
Malone deals with eligibility limbo of Fens, who can still practice with team
CHAPEL HILL — Cameron Fens spent the better part of August believing that he would finish his college basketball career in Chapel Hill. Now, with North Carolina’s season opener less than two months away, the 7–0 center still doesn’t know if he’ll be allowed to play in it. Fens, a graduate transfer from South Dakota, committed to Coach Michael Malone’s program on Aug. 8, filling what became North Carolina’s sixth transfer portal addition and 11th newcomer overall, seemingly completing the Tar Heels’ first roster under the first-year coach.
Ranking UNC’s non-conference men’s basketball opponents from toughest to easiest
Michael Malone’s first season in Chapel Hill will offer no shortage of measuring sticks before ACC play begins. From a neutral-site date with a likely top-five team to a home game against a Southern Conference bottom-dweller, the non-conference schedule includes opponents with a wide range of strength.
Malone’s first UNC roster, players’ numbers finally official
Michael Malone’s first UNC roster is finally official. His Tar Heels roster includes 11 newcomers and five returnees, led by Jarin Stevenson. Also back are Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis (who goes from No. 5 to No. 2) and walk-ons Evan Smith and John Holbrook (who will wear No. 99).
Malone’s first non-conference schedule features plenty of challenges
Coach Michael Malone’s first North Carolina team will get early measuring sticks before ACC play begins, with a non-conference schedule that mixes exhibition tune-ups and high-profile showcase games. UNC released the entire men’s basketball non-conference schedule on Thursday, although most of it was already known. See the full non-conference schedule below the story.
Malone settles into life as college coach, sets expectations for players
GREENSBORO — Michael Malone reached the next stage of his transition from coaching NBA players to coaching college players this week when the players on his first North Carolina team began classes. “The school started [Monday],” Malone said. “I was in the NBA for 25 years, and now I’m checking on classes. So, it’s a completely different opportunity, but one that I’m embracing and excited about, and we have a lot of work to do.”
UNC-N.C. State non-conference game set for Greensboro on Dec. 15
GREENSBORO — The days of the traditional double round-robin schedule are over in the far-flung 18-school ACC, and with them went the fixture of North Carolina and N.C. State playing home-and-home every basketball season. For the second consecutive season, the old rivals will only play one league game, with the men’s basketball meeting next season in Smith Center.
Malone says Roy Williams has ‘had a lot to do’ with him taking UNC job
Michael Malone said he turned down the North Carolina job three times before taking it and that Hall of Fame former UNC coach Roy Williams had a lot to do with him taking on the challenge. Malone made the comments during a 15½-minute appearance with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports on Tuesday’s episode of the “Inside College Basketball Now” podcast. Across the conversation, Malone touched on his path back to college basketball, his relationship with Williams, how he built his staff and what he wants from his first Tar Heels team.