Projecting UNC’s 2026-27 starting lineup under Michael Malone

New head coach Michael Malone and North Carolina have done a strong job building their roster through the transfer portal so far.

The Tar Heels have found a high-value point guard , added two productive transfers, a top international prospect and brought back key players from last season. They still need another backcourt depth piece and a starting big man to replace outgoing center Henri Veesaar, but the core is in place.

While the lineup is not complete, here are early projections for North Carolina’s rotation to start the 2026-27 season. The depth chart will likely change as the Tar Heels finish building the roster.

G Terrence Brown, Sr. (6-3, 160)

The All-Big 12 point guard averaged 19.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds for Utah last season while shootingt 45.3% from the field and 32.7% from 3-point range.

The 6-foot-3 rising senior has shown he can be a capable defender, averaging 1.7 steals per game throughout his career. His career best was 2.2 steals per game in 2024-25 with Fairleigh Dickinson, which led the Northeast Conference.

G Matt Able, Soph. (6-6, 205)

Able should see a big jump in production at UNC after a solid freshman year off the bench at NC State. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 21.8 minutes over 34 games, shooting 41.6% from the field, 35.5% from 3 and 79.6% at the foul line.

In 18 ACC games, he averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.1 steals and just 0.9 turnovers in 23.5 minutes, while shooting 42.1% from the floor, 37.3% from 3 and 83.3% on free throws.

F Neoklis Avdalas, Soph. (6-9, 215)

At 6-foot-9, Avdalas is a Virginia Tech transfer with an unconventional but effective style who fits the mold of the long, versatile playmakers coaches such as Michael Malone have maximized with players like Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. In the right structure at North Carolina, he has the tools to reach his ceiling.

Avdalas can complement a score-first point guard or dominant wing by handling secondary playmaking duties and initiating offense. He averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range last season.

F Jarin Stevenson, Sr. (6-10, 215)

The Chapel Hill native played two seasons at Alabama before transferring to North Carolina last season. The 6-foot-10 forward was a key piece in the Tar Heels’ rotation, appearing in all 33 games and starting 25. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

He is a player who can play from the 3 to the 5 and can guard every position on the court. Because of this, I don’t see him starting at the center spot because I think Malone sees him more as a four than a five and I think he would rather have Stevenson play the four and Avdalas play the three

C Sayon Keita, Freshman (7-0, 215)

The highly sought-after seven-foot Spaniard from Mali chose the Tar Heels over fellow blue bloods Duke , Kansas, Kentucky , and UConn. He will likely be paired with Jarin Stevenson in the starting frontcourt, with blue-chip freshman Maximo Adams , FAU transfer Maxim Logue and Northwestern transfer Cade Bennerman coming off the bench.

Keita played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He has played 13 games this season. In six EuroLeague games, Keita averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds while making 58.3% of his shots from the field. All of his attempts were two-pointers. Keita averaged 0.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in seven Liga ACB games.

He first gained attention at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and NBA Academy Games, averaging 13.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and four blocks per game.

Keita led the U18 FC Barcelona to the NextGen Belgrade tournament title in 2024 with  23 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the final against U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan . At the NextGen Finals in Berlin, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and two blocks.

6th Man:F Maximo Adams, Freshman (6-7, 205)

For now, Maximo Adams gets the nod in the starting five, but that could change if North Carolina lands a true starting center. In that scenario, Avdalas could slide from the four to the three and Stevenson from the five to the four, moving the freshman to the bench in a role similar to what Marvin Williams provided for North Carolina’s 2005 national championship team. Either way, Adams should provide an immediate spark.

As a senior, he was named the 2026 Los Angeles Times Boys’ Player of the Year, earned McDonald’s All-American honors, and was selected for the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. He led Sierra Canyon to a 30–1 record and its first California State Open Division title since 2019, averaging 16 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Key Reserves:Cade Bennerman, Isaiah Denis, Maxim Logue, Jaydon Young

Denis and Young join Stevenson as the only confirmed members of North Carolina’s 2025-26 roster.

Bennerman transferred from Northwestern but did not appear in a game, opting to redshirt his freshman season to develop. The 7-footer was a three-star recruit out of high school and was heavily pursued by Dusty May at Michigan before committing to Northwestern.

Logue projects as a key frontcourt depth piece off the bench. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds as a reserve for Florida Atlantic last season.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Projecting Tar Heels’ 2026-27 starting lineup