There's a reason why North Carolina simply could not wait on Billy Donovan to get his act together. Yup, the transfer portal played a big role in the Tar Heels pivoting quickly and bringing in Michael Malone to replace Hubert Davis.
And Malone's work in the portal continues to stand out. Previously, the Tar Heels' transfer class was ranked No. 5 in the country, which had the fanbase jacked up about the moves Malone was able to make, especially with Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar off to the NBA.
3 key UNC targets Michael Malone is still in the hunt for
With some other commits from different teams coming in, though, the Tar Heels have closed things out, for now, with the No. 7 class in the country. On paper, sure, falling out of the Top 5 might seem like a bit of a disappointment for Malone and Co., but let's be clear on one thing: it doesn't take away anything from the impressive work he was able to get done.
UNC's transfer class ranked No. 7 in the country is still a great look for Michael Malone
Let's take a look at the breakdown of the transfer commits, shall we? Malone has Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Neoklis Avdalas and Cade Bennerman making their way to Chapel Hill. Every single one of those guys will be an impact player - Bennerman won't start, but he'll be relied on to give UNC valuable minutes off the bench.
As for the three others, they're going to be starters and look to take their games to the next level. Avdalas was impressive with Virginia Tech last campaign and what stands out about him is his versatility. He could line up at multiple spots for the Heels.
Brown averaged nearly 20 points per game for Utah and he's been on his grind this offseason continuing to get better. He knows there's going to be pressure on him to perform at a high level in the ACC, but he'll no question be ready to answer the call.
What about Able? He's currently testing the NBA Draft waters, but the expectation is that he'll suit up for Carolina next season. He was a 4-star transfer from NC State (take that Wolfpack!) and a 5-star shooting guard coming out of high school. He's the real deal and Able could boost his draft stock for 2027 by having a big year under Malone.
Were there some transfer portal misses? Sure, as Juke Harris remains one that UNC supporters are a bit down in the dumps about. The NC native ended up committing to Tennessee and Rick Barnes, pulling his name out of the NBA Draft as well.
Despite that Harris loss and others, Malone's four commits are going to make a massive difference for next season. Add in the recent pledge from 5-star center Sayon Keita and this group is really coming together. There could also be more commits on the way, as targeting bigs remains a focus.
The Heels aren't getting any love in recent early Top 25 rankings for next season, but that could all change if a big-name signee is added for next year. We're in wait and see mode there, but you've got to give props to Malone for what he's been able to get done thus far.
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