With a roster spot to work with, the focus for Michael Malone and the Tar Heels has been looking to see if they can add some backcourt depth.
Given that a definitive role wasn't a guarantee, finding a player who has some experience who could provide quality minutes when needed isn't something that can be easily filled. In fact, it takes a lot to find a guy who is simply willing to do whatever it takes to win, being ready when his number is called.
The Tar Heels have flirted with a pair of transfer guards: Wei Lin and Angelo Brizzi, and have found their match.
Angelo Brizzi commits to North Carolina
The 2026-2027 roster for the UNC basketball program is likely now complete, as Brizzi has committed to play for Michael Malone in his first season at North Carolina.
BREAKING: Buffalo transfer guard Angelo Brizzi has committed to North Carolina, @InsideCarolina reports🐏
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) July 1, 2026
Brizzi averaged 14.5 point and 2.8 rebounds per game last season. https://t.co/r3f3I4uYxk pic.twitter.com/Bhh4r6dBhv
A 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard, Brizzi is very well-traveled. He started his career at Villanova, appearing in 9 games as a redshirt freshman. He transferred to Davidson for a season before ultimately spending last year at Buffalo.
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 for 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
While Brizzi isn't likely to play starter-type minutes, he should be a reliable player off the bench that Malone can turn to for quality minutes. It certainly helps that he is an elite three-point shooter, a quality that could ultimately dictate how much he does see the floor this upcoming season.
The other positive with this addition is that it allows UNC extra time to develop Isaiah Denis, a guy who the Tar Heels are very high on heading into his sophomore season. Brizzi can help take the load off Denis a bit as he starts to find his way into the rotation, as there will be plenty of opportunities for both to see the floor depending on how the competition plays out in practice.
It's hard not to think of this addition as a comparison to what a guy like Stilman White brought to the table during his career with the UNC basketball program. You can never have too much depth, and iron sharpens iron, giving the Tar Heels plenty of guys who can not only compete on the practice floor, but have what it takes to earn quality minutes throughout the 2026-2027 season.
You might be able to officially put your pencils down, as the 2026-2027 roster, the first of the Michael Malone era, seems to now be finalized. Now, we just have to wait and see how it all fits together and what type of role Angelo Brizzi will have in what will be his final season of college basketball.
What this move tells you is this: North Carolina's staff felt like they needed some extra backcourt depth and didn't shy away from going out and getting it.
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