The North Carolina Tar Heels enter the 2026-27 season looking to get back to contention for a National Championship. The Tar Heels have lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament the last two years, which led to some changes this offseason.
North Carolina fired Hubert Davis as the head coach and brought in Michael Malone to replace him. Malone comes with a ton of success from his time in the NBA, having spent 10 years with the Denver Nuggets, posting a 471-327 record and winning a championship in the 2022-23 season. With Malone coming and some quality talent on the roster, the Tar Heels will be looking to make a deeper run in the 2026-27 season.
North Carolina had four players named on Bleacher Report’s 2027 NBA Draft Big Board, with Maximo Adams, Matt Able, Sayon Keita, and Neoklis Avdalas.
Adams is entering his freshman season after averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the EYBL, shooting 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. He could be a quality wing for the Tar Heels.
Able will be a pivotal rotational guard for North Carolina after he spent his freshman year at NC State. The 19-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from behind the arc. He could be a pivotal piece as a scorer and shooter.
Keita could be a quality big man for the Tar Heels as he comes from overseas. In 20 games in Liga ACB and EuroLeague, he averaged 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, shooting 43.5 percent from the field. While the 18-year-old didn’t put up big numbers, he could be a key piece in Malone’s rotation.
Avdalas is another transfer portal addition from Virginia Tech who could be a solid player. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 31.4 percent from distance.
Avdalas will need to improve his efficiency, but he could be a talented scorer and playmaker for North Carolina. The Tar Heels have a ton of talent on their roster, and under a great coach in Malone, they could be a contender next season.
