Although the overall performance left much to be desired, the North Carolina Tar Heels departed Monday night with an 80-72 win over Western Carolina.
Here are grades for every Tar Heel who played in the season opener at the Dean E. Smith Center.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard was North Carolina's best player on Monday night , producing 18 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-6 from three-point range.
Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Matt Able (3) drives the ball around Western Carolina Catamounts guard Jaeden Roberts (2) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Able opened the game, scoring eight of the Tar Heels' first 10 points, knocking down those two aforementioned threes. His ability to score without needing to dominate the ball is the most impressive aspect of his game.
Scoring in bunches is what Brown is supposed to provide the Tar Heels after transferring from Utah this offseason . While Brown looked much more confident than he did in the preseason, playing with assertiveness and aggression and driving downhill, the veteran guard still struggled with efficiency.
Brown scored 14 points, but shot 3-of-11 from the field. The majority of his production came from the free-throw line, as he went 8-of-10 from the stripe. His facilitation and defensive activity were underrated aspects of his outing, but he doesn't offer much from the perimeter.
Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Neo Avdalas (17) controls the ball against Western Carolina Catamounts guard Jacob Zhu (11) during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Facilitating and shot creativity were on full display, as Avdalas was a floor general, producing 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
The Virginia Tech transfer was the primary ball handler in the season opener, which has been the expectation throughout the offseason.
Stevenson was uncharacteristically uninvolved in the win. Some of that was North Carolina's reluctance to establish anything in the perimeter. That said, the veteran forward had opportunities outside the perimeter but shot 0-for-4 from three-point range.
Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) shoots a free throw against the Western Carolina Catamounts during the second half at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Overall, it was an uninspiring performance from Stevenson, who has been lauded as a cornerstone of this roster.
I thought the former Barcelona center was absolutely dreadful in this game . Coming off the bench could serve Keita well. However, he's been forced into the starting lineup because Cameron Fens is currently ineligible.
Keita was a non-factor, with four points and two rebounds. The Tar Heels were outrebounded 41-32, and the 7-foot center's failure to make an impact in that department was certainly a factor.
Nov 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Western Carolina Catamounts forward Fola Sodipo (23) looks for a pass during the first half against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Maximo Adams (25) at Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For a freshman, Adams looks well beyond his years on the court. The former four-star recruit was the focal point of the offense for the second unit. Michael Malone gave the bench extensive minutes, especially in the first half, which is when we saw the 6-foot-7 forward shine.
Adams was exceptional in those minutes, earning himself playing time with the starters in place for Keita when North Carolina went with a smaller lineup. In 18 minutes, Adams recorded 10 points and four rebounds while shooting 3-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range.
Brizzi was serviceable in his 10 minutes of action, producing five points. His lone made field shot was a three-pointer. His production exclusively came in the first half. He was a non-factor in the second half.
Samodurov was dormant in this game, failing to score a single point while tallying three rebounds. His development and acclimation to this system will be a work in progress.
North Carolina was reeling in the second half and was dangerously close to coughing up the lead multiple times. Young hit two monumental threes that kept the Tar Heels afloat. Without those shots, we may be having a completely different conversation today.
Denis struggled mightily, culminating in him playing only nine minutes off the bench. He missed all four of his shot attempts.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as UNC Basketball Report Card vs. Western Carolina: Who Starred, Bombed .
