Despite UNC and Michael Malone working to put the finishing touches on the roster for next season, there's no longer any worry when it comes to youngster Matt Able. After transferring in from NC State, there was worry that Able was going to stay in the NBA Draft. Luckily, that's not the case, and he's now in Chapel Hill on his grind to get ready for next season.
Michael Malone and UNC have their eyes on another transfer portal guard
And thanks to the official UNC basketball X account, we've been given a close-up look at how his offseason training is going. Yes, it might be a short clip that you're about to see below, but goodness, Able just looks so dang smooth with the ball in his hands. If anything, this has us even more excited to see him make his UNC debut later this year:
At home in blue. pic.twitter.com/jOqod1hwHa
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) June 17, 2026
Matt Able has superstar written all over him for North Carolina and Michael Malone
He sure looks good in Carolina blue too, doesn't he? Coming out of high school, Able was a 5-star prospect, and his potential was through the roof for the Wolfpack. He didn't quite live up to the hype for Will Wade and NC State last season, but the expectations are going to be through the roof for him come next campaign.
Barring a bit of a stunner, the starting five for Malone is expected to be Terrence Brown, Able, Neoklis Avdalas, Jarin Stevenson, and Alexandros Samodurov. That's a pretty dang exciting group, with Able set to be a standout for Malone. The fact that he pulled his name out of the NBA Draft too still has people buzzing.
The majority of mock drafts had Able falling to the second round, but the hope is that after a big year with UNC in 2026-27, he'll become a lock to be a first-rounder. Not only that, there's already some talk of him being a potential lottery pick if he develops under Malone the way a lot of us think he will. That sure would be something.
Before we jump the gun on things there, however, let's not put too much pressure on the sophomore. Instead, let's all realize that it might take a little time for him to find his footing with Carolina, but at the same time, we can also be excited about what he's doing to get done in the near future. After averaging 8.8 points per game last campaign, might we see him make a sizable jump next season?
That's what we're all hoping for, as Able no question has what it takes to be a complete and total stud for Malone. It's not going to be all on him, though, as Brown, Avdalas, Stevenson, Samodurov, and others will need to be at their best for the Heels too. Still, it's hard for us to not get overly excited about Able and his game, as it sure feels like this kid has superstar written all over him for UNC.
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