Michael Malone Need to Find a Bully Quickly for UNC Basketball

The Tar Heels have a lot of skill, but they need to add power to its roster

Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

North Carolina has done a good job adding talent to its roster but it’s clear that one thing is missing and that’s a bully.

The Tar Heels have highly skilled players but, on paper, there’s no dominant force.

Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas was thought as a first-round draft pick at one point in the preseason and the addition of international 7-foot prospect Sayon Keita is another player with a high ceiling but how will the Tar Heels fare in a physical matchup?

Do they have someone that could try and stop a big-time center, like Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, from posting up and bullying his way to the basket?

Right now, it seems like that’s the massive void for the Tar Heels and it needs to be addressed.

With options limited in the transfer portal, Michael Malone has made the trip overseas to see what could be available to North Carolina and his experience with elite international talent given his career with NBA MVP Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets.

While it’s unlikely the next Jokic will appears in Chapel Hill this fall, Malone is not only trying to add players for this upcoming season but create a core that will set up his process for success into the future.

UNC has also added Utah’s Terrance Brown, NC State’s Matt Able, Florida Atlantic’s Maxim Logue, and Northwestern’s Cade Bennerman in the transfer portal but some reports have surfaced that Logue could have trouble being admitted to the university if his academic credits cannot be transferred from FAU.

North Carolina was hoping to add another 7-foot international prospect to its roster in Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje but he announced his commitment to rival Duke on Thursday.

Time is running out on the Tar Heels to put together its roster and the weaknesses seem to be clear as Michael Malone hopes to have success in his first college basketball season.