Michael Malone and UNC have their eyes on another transfer portal guard

Angelo Brizzi is a name that UNC fans might remember.

A member of the Class of 2021, Brizzi was lightly recruited by the Tar Heels during his initial high school recruitment. He took an unofficial visit to campus, the same weekend that former Tar Heels Caleb Love and Walker Kessler were in town.

Goes to show how long ago that was!

However, things didn't pan out (as we know), as Brizzi ultimately committed to Villanova in July of 2020.

Now, six years later, Brizzi has been granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA and is looking for a new home. It's possible that UNC could be that spot.

UNC is showing interest in a new transfer portal guard

According to multiple reports, including Inside Carolina, the Tar Heels have reached out to Brizzi, who will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Brizzi's college career has been quite the journey. He started his career at Villanova, appearing in 9 games as a redshirt freshman. He transferred to Davidson for a season and proceeded to land at Longwood before ultimately spending last season at Buffalo.

Yes, he's very well traveled!

For the Bulls, Brizzi was a full-time starter, averaging 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He has a reputation of being an elite shooter, as he's coming off a season in which he drained 37.2% of his shot attempts from beyond-the-arc.

You may be wondering why UNC is expressing interest in a player like Brizzi. Similiar to their interest in Wei Lin, Michael Malone and his staff are looking for a backup point guard who will provide some much-needed veteran depth. Now, that player, whether its Lin, Brizzi or someone else, will understand that they aren't guaranteed playing time if they decide to attend North Carolina: their role would essentially be one that is to be determined.Similar

At this point, it appears that UNC may have moved on from Lin, as the focus might now just be on landing Brizzi.

The ideal scenario is that Isaiah Denis can develop to be the key guard off the bench, but in the event that the Tar Heels need a spark, adding a player with collegiate experience would make a ton of sense.

UNC enters the race for the top-ranked prospect in the 2028 recruiting class

Of course, the bulk of the roster construction is done for Malone and his staff. Now, it's just putting the final pieces together to see if there is anyway the team can improve heading into the new season. As always, insurance is never a bad thing, and a guy like Brizzi would make a ton of sense for this UNC basketball squad.

You can never have enough depth, and the teams that win championships often have that guy (or guys) who have undefined roles but are always ready to go when their number is called. Stilman White is a recent name that comes to mind, as he was the perfect example of what UNC is looking for as they search the transfer portal for a guard who could fulfill this type of role for the 2026-2027 team.

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