Was it worth the wait, Heels fans?! That's right, after weeks of rumors and speculation, the news finally came in that North Carolina had landed Alexandros Samodurov. The Greek Big man was a top target for Michael Malone and he's going to be ready to make a big-time splash once he makes the move to Chapel Hill in the near future.
Matt Able reveals why the NBA can wait, and why he had to join North Carolina
This news is obviously great as a whole, as Samodurov is expected to start at the five, joining Matt Able, Terrence Brown, Jarin Stevenson and Neoklis Avdalas. If you ask us, that lineup is now looking like a group that should be in the Top 15-20 conversation moving forward. And it comes after the majority of too-early Top 25 rankings had the Tar Heels missing on lists.
Alexandros Samodurov has provided a jolt of excitement for the UNC fanbase
We're not naive to things. With Caleb Wilson leaving school to (likely) be a Top 5 pick, it's a major loss for the Tar Heels. With Henri Veesaar also chasing his NBA dreams, it was a monster setback for Malone and his staff. However, the pieces have come into place for this group to stop being an afterthought in the ACC.
We can't stress enough how excited we are for Samodurov. No, he hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard playing overseas, but you can see that the potential is there for him to be a primetime player. His mechanics with his feet alone are eye-opening, while he knows how to find the bottom of the cotton.
Once again, Alexondros Samodurov starts out in the high post & goes to work. A ton of spins & pivots. Fakes to his left shoulder, spins back to his other shoulder for the fade away, shows the ball and draws the foul. This is where he is at his toughest. @TarHeel_247 pic.twitter.com/NoIP3Fuezz
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) May 31, 2026
As we've said before, Samodurov is also going to take off plenty of pressure for 5-star center Sayon Keita. The teenage phenom is joining the Tar Heels from FC Barcelona, but he's still got a lot of development in front of him. Having him start right away would not have been beneficial for him or the Heels.
However, now he can come off the bench and provide Samodurov with some relief when he needs a breather. On top of that, both Samodurov and Keita will be learning from UNC legend Sean May, who will always be beloved in town after helping Carolina and Roy Williams win a national title. He's got the task of helping Samodurov and Keita grow and he'll be ready to deliver.
As for Samodurov, he's going to be motivated to silence doubters, as people are being quick to call him overhyped leading up to his college hoops debut. You already know plenty of people in Durham are having serious doubts about him doing much of anything. He won't pay attention to that, as his main focus will be on helping make Malone's debut season with UNC a memorable one.
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