3 Tar Heels Who Need Impressive Outings Against Georgia

The North Carolina Tar Heels have taken care of business in their first three games of the season.

That said, they face their first legitimate test on Friday night against the Georgia Bulldogs. With all due respect to Western Carolina, Wofford, and Wyoming, the Bulldogs are closer to the realm of teams North Carolina will face in conference play. By no means is Georgia an elite team, but it does provide a step up in competition.

This three-game stretch has featured ebbs and flows from the Tar Heels. With that in mind, here are several players who need a notable outing against Georgia.

Neoklis Avdalas

Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Neo Avdalas (17) controls the ball against Western Carolina Catamounts guard Jacob Zhu (11) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Across the first two games, the Virginia Tech transfer accumulated 21 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 8-of-17 from the field (47.1%) and 2-of-6 from three-point range (33.3%).

On Tuesday night, Avdalas was invisible, recording one point, four assists, and one rebound while shooting 0-of-2 from the field and 1-of-5 from the free-throw line. It goes without saying that North Carolina can't afford that output on Friday night. This isn't a reason for concern about Avdalas' season-long success, but the Tar Heels' ceiling is correlated with the 6-foot-9 guard's ability to contribute in all three statistical categories. Avdalas needs a bounce-back outing against Georgia.

Matt Able

Able has been one of North Carolina's most consistent players this season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 59.1% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range.

This isn't to say that the production has been underwhelming. Again, that efficiency is why Able had multiple suitors in the transfer portal. That said, the North Carolina State transfer needs to be more aggressive. In the season opener, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard imposed his will on the game. Over the last two games, Able has been hesitant and disappeared into the shadows of other Tar Heels.

Against Wofford, Able attempted four shots. Although he made three of those, that shooting volume is too low. When North Carolina faced Wyoming, it struggled to separate itself from the Cowboys in the first half. Struggling to control the boards contributed to that. An underrated factor in that was Able not scoring his first basket until the two-minute mark in the first half.

Again, Able finished the game with 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. I want to see the sophomore guard replicate his approach and mindset from the season opener.

Jarin Stevenson

Stevenson has yet to live up to the lofty expectations set for the veteran forward. It was completely fair for Michael Malone to herald Stevenson as a cornerstone on this roster after the 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward closed out last season averaging big numbers.

While it's an extremely small sample size, Stevenson is averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and an abysmal 11.1% from three-point range. The former Alabama forward is 1-of-9 from the perimeter. Similar to Able, Stevenson has lacked that aggressive mindset. Hopefully, a step up in competition will elevate Stevenson's production and efficiency.

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