Stock Report: Who’s rising and falling after UNC basketball's exhibition opener?

North Carolina experimented in their first preseason game against USC on Friday night in Greensboro, providing us all with our first look at the new-look Tar Heels.

With a new head coach and a ton of newcomers, UNC showed flashes of what they are capable of this season. Some players stood out while others didn't fare well in the first of three preseason games that this team will play before the November 2 season opener.

With 40 minutes of exhibition play in the books, here's our stock report for some key Tar Heels:

Stock Risers

Jarin Stevenson

When it comes to stock risers, Jarin Stevenson stands atop the list.

The senior forward, one of three returners from last year's squad, made his presence felt in the opening exhibition game, putting together a performance that was arguably his best thus far at the college ranks (regardless of it being a preseason game).

Sure, it's one game, but what it proved is simple: Stevenson is going to be a major factor on this year's team, and if he continues to hit shots like he did in Greensboro, he's going to be a breakout star in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Isaiah Denis

Isaiah Denis is a man on a mission!

After barely being utilized as a freshman, Denis has something to prove to certain individuals who didn't believe he could help last year's team. His first exhibition action shows that he not only improved his game since arriving on campus but is ready to play a major role in UNC's regular rotation.

Against USC, Denis came off the bench and poured in 14 points while making plays on both ends of the floor. Seeing him compete confirmed that Michael Malone and his staff weren't lying when they raved about him over the summer months.

Denis is an easy player to root for, and the hope is that he can sustain this success moving forward.

Maximo Adams

If we learned anything from Friday night, it's that Maximo Adams is going to be playing a lot for this year's team.

From playing multiple positions, knocking down shots from all over the floor and, most importantly, being a strong presence in the rebounding effort, Adams showed why he was ranked as a five-star talent out of high school.

There's no doubt about it: Maximo Adams is going to see a lot of game action right from the jump.

Stock Fallers

Terrence Brown and Matt Able

As we said earlier, yes, it's one exhibition game.

However, if you would've told Tar Heel fans before the game that the backcourt combo of Terrence Brown and Matt Able combined for five points on 2-8 shooting (all scored by Brown in the final minutes of the game), there would be a high major of concern when it came to UNC actually winning the game.

Fortunately, UNC won by double-digits, but there has to be some level of concern when it comes to the performances from both Brown and Able.

Let's not hit the panic button just yet.

If this continues through the remainder of the preseason, we'll re-evaluate how we feel ahead of opening night. For now, let's chalk it up to the lack of continuity in the lineups (yes, preseason games get funky!) and the fact that it just wasn't there in Greensboro.

While their stock took a hit, we're confident they'll both be risers when our next report comes out.

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