The North Carolina Tar Heels opened their 2026-27 college basketball season with an 80-72 win over Western Carolina.

It was Michael Malone's first official game as North Carolina's head coach, and this team will play vastly differently from what we have grown accustomed to over the last five years. With that in mind, here are the standouts and disappointments from the Tar Heels' perspective in the victory.

Winners

Matt Able

There's a reason Able was one of the players I was looking forward to watching this season. The North Carolina State transfer doesn't need the ball in his hands extensively to produce; the offense's fluidity doesn't stall when he's on the floor.

Able exploded out of the gates, scoring eight points in the opening three minutes of the game, knocking down his first three shots, including two threes. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard sprinkled production throughout the game, leading the team with 18 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field.

Maximo Adams

Malone had five bench players on the floor simultaneously, and in those instances, the offense ran through the freshman forward. Adams plays well beyond his years, and the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward was present in the scoring and rebounding departments.

Adams' consistent play earned him minutes with the starting lineup in spurts for Sayon Keita, who dealt with foul trouble throughout the game.

Neoklis Avdalas

The Virginia Tech transfer is one of the most tantalizing players to keep tabs on in the country this season. Avdalas can affect the game in so many ways, and his versatility was apparent on Monday night.

Avdalas makes it look effortless to push the ball in transition off defensive rebounds. North Carolina’s 6-foot-9 point guard is a weapon that will expose multiple teams this season. It's only one game, but the Greek guard is already showing why Malone prioritized him in the transfer portal.

Losers

Sayon Keita

We alluded to this earlier, but the former Barcelona center battled foul trouble, preventing him from making an impact in this game. Additionally, Keita struggled to impose his will on the glass, which is why Malone gave Adams minutes with the starters, as Jarin Stevenson was deployed at center.

Terrence Brown

Brown was aggressive early and applied significant pressure on Western Carolina's defenders in the paint, making multiple contested layups. The Utah transfer also created plays off the dribble, generating open looks for his teammates.

However, Brown was inefficient, shooting 3-of-11 from the field, including 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. Despite averaging nearly 20 points last season at Utah, Brown wasn't the most refined scorer. Those inefficiencies and struggles as a perimeter shooter have followed him to Chapel Hill.