UNC's Sixth Man Role Is Up for Grabs and the Competition Is Fierce

With so many new faces, the projected starting lineup for the Tar Heels in the 2026-2027 season is certainly still in question. From returning players to portal additions to incoming freshmen, there’s a lot of talent on the team, but of course, only five starting positions are available.

However, in college basketball, some of the most important players don’t find themselves within that starting five, but instead play a crucial role as the sixth man. North Carolina fortunately has quite the list of applicants to be the first man off the bench next season.

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) shoots as Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Tre'von Spillers (25) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

For the sake of the discussion, we’ll assume that North Carolina’s starting five is assumed to be Neoklis Avdalas, Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita.

Maximo Adams

Adams is probably the top candidate to play first off of the bench. He’s realistically the only other player that has a decent chance of finding his way into the starting lineup at some point during the season.

With Matt Able’s situation growing increasingly interesting, if he doesn’t decide to return to North Carolina, Adams would likely be thrusted into that starting five in his place.

Alexandros Samodurov

Breaking: Alexandros Samodurov will continue his career at the University of North Carolina, where he will team up with Neoklis Avdalas🔥👀

Sources: @TheShot71 | @Scorakiasgr #ncaa #paobc #olympiacosbc #northcarolina #nba pic.twitter.com/wuSvvRHJKm
— Basketballmaniacs_ (@bballmaniacs_) May 14, 2026

Samodurov will likely get a lot of minutes by relieving Sayon Keita and Jarin Stevenson in the frontcourt. It’s no secret that North Carolina’s frontcourt is seemingly the weak spot on this roster, and the rotation for those positions will be paramount next season.

Samodurov is also the former teammate of Neoklis Avdalas, the likely starting point guard. That pre-existing team chemistry is more reason to believe Samodurov could be the first guy off the bench in order to get minutes between the two of them.

Kevin Thomas

NEWS: 4⭐️ Kevin Thomas has committed to North Carolina, his agent KJ Smith told @Rivals.

The 6-7 small forward is a former LSU signee and a top-100 recruit in the 2026 class. https://t.co/cFGX9a9XmC pic.twitter.com/z782UUbkSe
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) May 13, 2026

Thomas’s path to finding himself as the sixth man would likely involve Matt Able to forgo college and continue to pursue the NBA.

If Able doesn’t return, it seems Maximo Adams would slide in his place and, therefore, move Thomas to the first guard off the bench.

Isaiah Denis

Denis is a very underrated pick for North Carolina’s sixth man. He has pre-existing team chemistry with a starter in Jarin Stevenson, will have an entire offseason to be fully healthy from his lingering injuries last season, and should hit a huge jump in year two.

It will be difficult in a crowded backcourt, but with a productive offseason, I could see a world where Denis outplays other players on the roster to earn that spot.

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