Shortly after last season and in the first few weeks of the offseason, it appeared that the North Carolina Tar Heels would be in serious trouble in 2026.
However, head coach Michael Malone, his staff, and the front office constructed a well-rounded roster that could legitimately compete this upcoming season. However, if there was one area of the roster that still had room for improvement, it was the frontcourt rotation.
The Tar Heels had replenished that group with Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov, and Cade Bennerman, but the lack of experience was glaring. With one roster spot remaining, North Carolina had been linked to several centers in recent weeks.
On Friday, the Tar Heels officially landed one of those players, signing South Dakota’s Cameron Fens. With him now part of the equation, determining North Carolina’s starting center is now a complicated conversation. Excluding Bennerman, here are the pros and cons of the other three options who have a legitimate case to be featured in the starting lineup.
Sayon Keita
Pros:
The former Barcelona center is an elite rim protector and can guard all five positions on the floor. His ability to switch and defend on the ball is a tantalizing aspect of his game that fits perfectly with the personnel. Keita is an energizer on both ends of the floor.
Cons:
North Carolina is still awaiting Keita’s arrival at Chapel Hill. Because the seven-foot center is extremely raw and needs proper development, his delayed arrival to campus is a concern. Additionally, Keita is limited offensively, and while that is not a glaring red flag, it underscores the importance of acclimating to his teammates and the coaching staff, which has evidently not happened yet.
Alexandros Samodurov
Pros:
Unlike Keita, Samodurov’s offensive game is expandable, as he can score from all three levels, facilitate, and create off the dribble. Adding the Greek center to the starting lineup, which consists of several play-making guards, would be a nightmare matchup for many teams.
Cons:
Samodurov has proven to be an effective shot blocker, but his frame is a concern for me in substantial minutes with the starting five. We still have to see how Samodurov’s game translates to the ACC, and teams like Louisville and Duke, each with elite frontcourts, could expose the overseas big man.
Cameron Fens
Pros:
The seven-foot, 255-pound center is one of the more complete centers in the country, averaging 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor last year. Experience and proven production were two features missing from the Tar Heels’ center rotation. That is no longer the case with Fens part of the equation.
Cons:
The only pushback is that Fens’ production came against mid-major competition. Moving to the ACC will be a major step up for the former South Dakota transfer. If there was another nitpick, it would be that Fens doesn’t offer anything from the perimeter and is a sub-60 percent free-throw shooter throughout his career.
