Courtside Carolina: UNC May Have Found Its Most Reliable Scorer

One Tar Heel showed out in the loss to Georgia.

Nov 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Michael Malone reacts during the first half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We knew that this team would take time to develop and mesh with one another, yet the frustrations seem to be setting in early for Carolina fans.

It isn’t completely unwarranted, as Georgia is a game that North Carolina should have won, certainly at home, and very well could have if things played out differently down the stretch. Georgia ended on a 13-4 run that completely sealed the deal late Friday night, as North Carolina’s offense just couldn’t seem to make anything happen on the offensive end to close out the game.

Michael Malone made the decision to run the offense through Neo Avdalas over Terrence Brown in the final stretch, an interesting decision considering Brown had been playing a much cleaner game up until that point. That’s not a knock on Avdalas at all, as I would bet he would admit to himself it wasn’t his best minutes through the first half of the game.

Nov 13, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Michael Malone reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I’ve seen many Tar Heels fans hitting the panic button this weekend following the home loss. My message would be to relax for now, as there’s a ton of basketball to be played before coming to any drastic conclusions. In all honesty, there were some positive signs that came from the game. It may be hard to see them, however, as a “disappointing” label drapes over this team, looking to stick.

Terrence Brown Can Hoop

One of my favorite additions in the transfer portal this offseason was Brown, and his recent performances have been enough for him to continue with that title.

It’s clear that Brown will lead this team in scoring, as we predicted in the offseason, and his aggressive playstyle has a ton to do with that. Michael Malone and the Heels found success when they played with some tempo, as we saw following the halftime break against Georgia. Brown’s aggression, paired with Isaiah Denis at point guard, fueled the Heels to take back the lead by playing fast and aggressively while still under control.

Nov 13, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Terrence Brown (1) reacts after scoring against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I thought Brown also pulled his weight on the glass with three rebounds, even though that’s not primarily his biggest area of concern. Sure, everyone on the team has to be willing and able to do whatever it takes to win on the glass, but it’s not like Brown is expected to get a high volume of boards every night.

Effective From Deep

Another area where Brown isn’t a regular contributor is from beyond the arc; however, he made 4-of-8 against Georgia and shot with the highest percentage on the team. Carolina shot a staggering 38 attempts from deep, and when asked about it postgame, Brown gave a terrific and very honest answer as to why he was a larger contributor from deep compared to previous nights.

“I would say just being more aggressive with my shot because a lot of people think I can't shoot, but I'm just really good at getting downhill, and I like getting downhill. But just being more aggressive with catch-and-shoot opportunities, like if I see them not passing them up to driving into two or three guys and put up a shot at the rim, where I haven't been too successful at this year at the beginning of the season, just missing a lot of layups.”

Nov 13, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Terrence Brown (1) lays the ball up against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The one knock on Brown this season has been playing under control and taking good shots, both of which I believe we saw against the Bulldogs. Overall, it was an encouraging performance for Brown, who should remain safely in the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.