UNC’s Biggest Position Battles Heading Into 2026-27 Season

As the roster for North Carolina becomes more and more complete, there seems to be some positional battles boiling up, and the competition for minutes on the court looks to be soon underway.

Mar 24, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone gestures in the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Scarce Minutes in the Frontcourt

With the Tar Heels officially landing the commitment from Alexandros Samodurov, it raises questions as to where he will land in the rotation and how many minutes we can expect to see him play in the upcoming season.

Of course, at six-foot-eleven, he has the ability to play both as a power forward and a center, giving him the flexibility to earn quite a few minutes in year one.

As it currently stands, the projected starters would be returning second-year player Jarin Stevenson, along with Sayon Keita in the starting position at center. Samodurov's height and length give him the potential to earn starting minutes, which could, unfortunately, lead to him stealing minutes from Stevenson.

Stevenson's loyalty to the program and his hard work in the offseason should earn him the starting position at least to begin the season, but his performance on the court will ultimately decide whether he remains there long-term.

Another factor that should influence Samodurov's playing time is his pre-existing chemistry with projected starting point guard Neoklis Avdalas. The two players previously played together while overseas in Greece. This chemistry should propel him into some more minutes as he develops under Michael Malone.

Apr 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

It will be interesting to see how that positional battle plays out and who will earn the majority of minutes as the season progresses.

Mar 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on the sideline during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Freshman Positional Battle?

Another interesting positional battle would be at the small forward position with two freshmen. Both Maximo Adams and Kevin Thomas naturally play the small forward position and are both highly recruited prospects who committed to North Carolina in the offseason.

According to 247Sports, Maximo Adams was ranked the 30th player at a 4-star rating, while Kevin Thomas was ranked the 85th player at a 4-star rating, although Adams' composite rating was higher and ranked him as the 25th player in the nation, with Kevin Thomas coming in at 95th. Maximo Adams is also slightly taller and heavier, with a simply more polished game that should earn him more minutes over Thomas.

These two positional battles will be an interesting storyline to follow as the offseason kicks off and practice begins. Having too many talented players and not enough minutes to go around is a great problem to have for North Carolina.

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