How UNC's Michael Malone Has Rival Duke 'Scared'

For the last five years, the North Carolina Tar Heels have been overlooked, as the program has floundered in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The majority of those struggles fell on the shoulders of former head coach Hubert Davis, which led the administration to make a coaching change after last season. North Carolina struck out on its first two options, but ultimately hired Michael Malone, which could be a blessing in disguise. Earlier this month, college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman revealed that a coaching staff of an elite program now has the Tar Heels on its radar during "The Field of 68: After Dark" podcast.

Goodman's Thoughts

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"When you talk to the Duke staff, they were not scared of the previous head coach at North Carolina, Hubert Davis," Goodman said. "They are scared to whatever degree. Maybe not terrified, but they are worried about Michael Malone at Carolina."

"They've seen the work ethic, and they've also seen, obviously, he can sell something that even Duke and Scheyer cannot, which is, 'Hey, see this ring; this ring was from the NBA, I won a title,'" Goodman continued. "So, you know, there are a few factors here that again instill that fear factor into Scheyer and Duke."

Reactions and Takeaways

Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the video board during practice prior to NCAA Tournament at West Regional at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

North Carolina will always be able to land top recruits solely on the historical value of the logo. It's not like Davis was a mastermind recruiter, yet the Tar Heels still accumulated plenty of talent during his tenure. The problem was his inability to execute in-game adjustments and maximize the talent at his disposal.

The lack of success led other programs to dismiss North Carolina. Now, the Tar Heels have a head coach in place who has won at the highest level and has proven to be a culture setter. Formidable coaching has been an absent feature in Chapel Hill, and now that the Tar Heels have a marquee coach, they should return to the level of other blue-blood programs.

Entering this offseason, it was apparent that North Carolina needed a recalibration. For the first time in five years, the Tar Heels can match up schematically against other top-tier head coaches, including Jon Scheyer. Yes, Malone still needs to prove himself at the collegiate level, but again, he has won an NBA title. We may not see the Tar Heels as a national title contender in 2026, but they could be in the near future with Malone at the helm.

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