If you're frustrated over the latest drama for NCAA eligibility, you're not alone. While at first it was expected that UNC big man Cameron Fens was going to be good to go for this season, he's currently ineligible. This news arrived after Fens was previously all set through a lawsuit in Tennessee, with him and many others, at the time, getting good news.
Since then, though, that decision has been flipped, meaning Fens is on the outside looking in for next season. More lawsuits could be on the way here, but again, for now, UNC can't rely on having the South Dakota transfer out on the hardwood for Michael Malone's debut season.
Because of that, there's going to be a new starting five for Malone to deploy. Nothing will change outside of center, but this is how we're expecting things to look: Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Neoklis Avdalas, Jarin Stevenson, and freshman center Sayon Keita.
NEWS: The Tennessee Court of Appeals has stayed the injunction previously granted to the plaintiff athletes pending appeal.
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) August 26, 2026
Those players are now ineligible unless the Court of Appeals ultimately rules in their favor.
This includes AJ Storr, Chendall Weaver, Sam Alexis, BJ… pic.twitter.com/xuKmksQJSQ
UNC should start 5-star Sayon Keita with Cameron Fens deemed ineligible
While a lot can change leading up to the start of the new campaign, let's pretend the season-opener is tomorrow. If that were the case, four of the five starting spots would appear to be locked in, but Malone would have to decide between either Alexandros Samodurov or Keita at the five. While that wouldn't be a simple decision, we're giving the edge to Keita there.
The rising prospect from the FC Barcelona system took a little bit longer than expected to make the move to Carolina, but he's officially on campus and going through workouts with the team. It's going to take him a little while to get acclimated to the college game, but that's exactly what offseason training is for.
Samodurov is also going to get plenty of minutes this season near the glass, while Northwestern transfer Cade Bannerman is another big fella that people can't forget about either. He'll be tasked in also stepping up his game and delivering for Malone whenever his number is called.
With Keita, he's got a high ceiling, and Sean May working with him closely is only going to help him improve his game as a whole - Keita has the opportunity to be a special player for the Tar Heels, with his highly-anticipated freshman season having a little more pressure on it due to this unfortunate Fens' news.
Who knows, though, in a couple of weeks Fens could be eligible once again, and fans won't have to worry about things. For now, however, he's not, so we can only focus on the pieces that Malone is going to have at his disposal. Because of that, we're rocking with Keita to step into the starting lineup, and while losing Fens stings, there's no reason to believe this can't still be a Top 25 team.
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