North Carolina basketball finally has its 2026-27 roster in place, but having the pieces assembled is only the beginning of the puzzle.
The much bigger question now facing first-year head coach Michael Malone is how those pieces will actually fit together once the games begin.
With 16 players currently on the roster, there are only so many minutes to go around. Malone will have to decide which players can be trusted in high-leverage situations, which combinations give Carolina the best chance to win, and whether the Tar Heels are better served by sticking with a tight rotation or spreading minutes across nine or 10 players.
That makes the question of UNC’s potential top eight particularly fascinating.
During the latest edition of Locked On Tar Heels, Milligan University head coach Bill Robinson was asked to do exactly that. His task was simple on paper but extremely difficult in practice: take Carolina’s 16-man roster and narrow it down to the eight players he expects to see most often when the season gets serious.
And Robinson’s projected group immediately offered plenty to talk about.
Four players stood out to him as relatively easy choices: Terrence Brown Jr., Matt Able, Neoklis Avdalas and Jarin Stevenson.
Those four could potentially form the foundation of Malone’s rotation, although each would bring something different to the floor.
Brown, perhaps more than anyone else in Robinson’s projection, could be positioned for a major offensive role.
Robinson expects Brown to play a ton, and there is a clear reason for that belief. His aggressive scoring mentality gives Carolina another player capable of putting pressure on opposing defenses.
If Brown can consistently attack, finish and create offense, his presence could become one of the defining elements of Malone’s first UNC team.
The interesting part is how Brown could be used.
Robinson likes the possibility of Avdalas taking on significant point guard responsibilities. If Avdalas can handle the ball and organize the offense, Brown could spend more time away from the ball, where he can attack closeouts, move into open spaces and use his scoring instincts without having to constantly initiate the offense.
That combination could potentially give Carolina a very interesting offensive dynamic.
Then there is Able.
His shooting ability immediately makes him an attractive rotation option in an era when spacing can determine whether an offense thrives or struggles. UNC will need players who can punish defenses for collapsing into the paint, and Able’s ability to stretch the floor could make him an important piece of Malone’s system.
Stevenson, meanwhile, offers something different.
Experience.
Physicality.
And a veteran presence in the frontcourt.
Those qualities can become particularly valuable for a team entering a new coaching era. Malone is introducing a different system, different expectations and potentially a different style of play, so having experienced players who can provide stability could be crucial.
For Robinson, those four choices were relatively straightforward.
The next four were much more complicated.
His projected additions were Cameron Fens, Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov and freshman Maximo Adams.
And that is where the biggest storyline surrounding the projected rotation begins.
When Robinson made his projection, Fens appeared to be a player with a legitimate chance to earn major minutes — potentially even a starting spot.
Robinson believed Fens’ experience, strength and physicality could make him extremely difficult for Malone to keep off the floor.
In fact, Robinson suggested that Fens would not have come to Chapel Hill without believing he had a legitimate opportunity to play a significant role.
That projection made sense from a basketball standpoint.
A new coaching staff typically values players who can provide immediate physicality and experience, particularly in the frontcourt. If Fens could defend, rebound and bring toughness to the lineup, his presence could have given Malone another dependable option.
But there was an enormous complication.
Fens’ eligibility situation changed after the recording of the conversation.
The Locked On Tar Heels discussion was recorded before the Tennessee Court of Appeals granted a stay connected to the lawsuit that had allowed Fens to remain eligible. As a result, Fens was subsequently made ineligible, at least temporarily.
That development adds an entirely different layer to UNC’s rotation conversation.
A player who had been projected as a possible starter or significant contributor suddenly became unavailable, leaving Malone with another decision to make in a frontcourt that already contains several intriguing possibilities.
And this is exactly why projecting Carolina’s top eight has become so difficult.
Without Fens, players such as Keita and Samodurov could potentially see even greater responsibility.
Keita is particularly intriguing because of his size and potential impact around the basket. Carolina needs frontcourt players capable of defending, rebounding and protecting the interior, and his development could become extremely important during the early stages of the season.
Samodurov brings another intriguing dimension.
The challenge for both players will be adapting quickly.
College basketball is unforgiving, and playing meaningful minutes under a new coach requires more than simply possessing talent. Players have to understand defensive assignments, offensive spacing, pace, decision-making and the expectations that come with being part of a rotation.
That is where Malone’s coaching could become especially important.
The former NBA head coach will have to determine not only who has the most talent but who can consistently execute what he asks.
And then there is Adams.
The freshman may be one of the biggest wild cards on the roster.
Robinson described Adams as an “X-factor,” and that description perfectly captures why he is so fascinating.
Rather than viewing Adams as someone who needs to be locked into one traditional position, Robinson sees him simply as a basketball player.
That versatility could become incredibly valuable.
If Adams can defend multiple positions, make smart decisions and contribute offensively, Malone could use him in a variety of lineup combinations. A player capable of moving between positions gives a coach significantly more flexibility, particularly when injuries, foul trouble or matchup problems arise.
That could ultimately give Adams a path to meaningful minutes much sooner than some freshmen might receive.
But the competition doesn’t stop with Robinson’s projected eight.
There are several players outside that group who could make the rotation conversation even more complicated.
Kevin Thomas was reportedly one of Robinson’s most difficult omissions.
His athleticism and positional versatility make him a player who could challenge for minutes, especially if Malone wants to increase the team’s athleticism or deploy smaller, faster lineups.
Isaiah Denis, Jaydon Young and Angelo Brizzi also remain potential candidates for backcourt opportunities.
Any one of them could force their way into the rotation if they perform well during preseason practices.
Then there is Malloy Smith.
As a freshman, Smith may have a longer developmental path, but that doesn’t mean his season has to be limited to watching from the bench. If he makes rapid progress, Malone could eventually find ways to use him.
And that is ultimately what makes this roster so fascinating.
There is no guarantee that Malone will actually use a traditional eight-man rotation.
He could settle on eight players.
He could go nine deep.
He could use 10 or even 11 players depending on matchups and player development.
The first few weeks of the season could tell us much more than preseason projections ever could.
Players who appear destined for limited roles in August can suddenly emerge once practices begin. Meanwhile, players expected to be major contributors may struggle to adapt to a new system.
That is why Robinson’s projection should be viewed as an intriguing early snapshot rather than a prediction carved in stone.
Still, the four names he identified as obvious selections — Brown, Able, Avdalas and Stevenson — provide an interesting starting point.
The next layer, involving Keita, Samodurov and Adams, could determine just how deep Malone ultimately wants to go.
And the Fens eligibility situation remains perhaps the biggest complication hanging over the entire conversation.
For a first-year head coach taking over one of the most recognizable programs in college basketball, Malone has plenty of decisions ahead.
The good news for Carolina fans is that these are the kinds of problems coaches generally want to have.
There is competition.
There is versatility.
There is experience.
There is young talent.
And there are players waiting for an opportunity to prove they belong.
The real mystery is which eight — or perhaps nine or 10 — will ultimately earn Malone’s trust.
For now, Robinson’s projected top eight gives UNC fans a fascinating glimpse at one possible rotation.
But with the eligibility situation surrounding Fens adding another major question mark, the battle for minutes could be even more intense than anyone initially expected.
And by the time the Tar Heels take the floor for the games that matter most, there is a very good chance the rotation looks considerably different from the one being projected today.
