Michael Malone’s Doesn't Mince Words About UNC's Performance

At the end of the day, winning is the most important category in the win-loss column.

The North Carolina Tar Heels left the season opener with an 80-72 win over Western Carolina, but the performance was underwhelming. During his postgame press conference, head coach Michael Malone was very blunt in his analysis of his team's outing.

Lackluster Rebounding

“[That Western Carolina had] 13 offensive rebounds is definitely a concern, and you can’t have your power forward and your starting center only have four combined. Terrence [Brown] had five by himself. Neoklis [Avdalas] had seven by himself. But we’ll have to watch it because one thing I do know is that both Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita, it’s not like they’re not playing hard."

Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) brings the ball to the basket against Western Carolina Catamounts forward Tayeshaun Smith (21) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It’s not like they’re out there not giving effort," Malone continued. "So, we will watch some film, see what what’s really causing it. But big picture, yes, we need Sayon and Jarin to be seven to 10 boards every night.”

North Carolina's struggles on the boards go back to the preseason, when that weakness was first brought to light. Not only is it concerning that the Tar Heels were outrebounded by Western Carolina 41-32, but it also makes you think about when ACC play arrives.

It goes without saying that Duke, Louisville, Virginia, and Miami are all better teams than Western Carolina. Additionally, each of those teams has better frontcourts. North Carolina had the size advantage against Western Carolina. That won't be the case against the aforementioned four teams. If this doesn't resolve and Cameron Fens remains ineligible throughout the season, the Tar Heels will have a difficult time competing in the ACC.

Shooting Woes

Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Neo Avdalas (17) shoots the ball for a goal against Western Carolina Catamounts forward Tayeshaun Smith (21) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“We were nine of 30 from the three-point line, 30%, and I’m going to make a guess here, I bet you 25 of those were open or wide open," Malone said. "I thought we generated a ton of good looks tonight that just did not go down. Aside from that, one thing I told our guys that right now we’re a team that takes two steps forward, three steps back."

"We can’t sustain anything," Malone continued. "We have really good stretches, but we’re unable to sustain it for long stretches, and we have to find a way to build those habits where we can start putting longer stretches together, putting halves together, putting a full 40 minutes together.”

The lack of physicality has also contributed to the offense’s struggles. As Malone stated during his press conference, the Tar Heels were abysmal from three-point range. While the 55-year-old head coach correctly assessed that the team had plenty of open shots, that volume is still way too high.

Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Matt Able (3) shoots the ball against Western Carolina Catamounts guard Isaiah Manning (7) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

North Carolina has grown accustomed to hanging on the perimeter and driving and kicking, instead of looking for the easy looks underneath. Again, some of that is due to personnel, but this team can't afford to miss this many shots. In comparison, the Tar Heels shot 14-of-25 from inside the perimeter. They need to cut back on the threes and lean on the frontcourt more often.

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