This offseason has brought dramatic changes to the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program following a tumultuous end to the 2025-26 campaign.
We'll talk about those in a second, but with that in mind, here are the biggest differences from 2025 to this season.
Coaching Style
Over the last five years, Tar Heels fans have been continuously exasperated at the end of the season and have been asking for more. Additionally, former head coach Hubert Davis never failed to provide questionable sound bites following the team's loss in the NCAA Tournament.
With all due respect, Michael Malone is a clear upgrade at head coach, but that goes beyond the schematics. Malone has already received praise from his players for the standards he holds them to. The 54-year-old head coach brings high energy by holding his players accountable on both ends of the floor. It's not that Davis didn't do that as well, but countless times last season we saw North Carolina falter defensively and stall offensively.
That shouldn't be the case with Malone at the helm.
Roster Construction
In 2025, the Tar Heels were reliant on the frontcourt tandem of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar. While that was a premier strength for North Carolina, its backcourt left much to be desired. Malone isn't embracing that approach, as he prioritized that area of the roster, signing Neoklis Avdalas, Terrence Brown, and Matt Able in the transfer portal.
That trio of players should form one of the most tantalizing backcourt rotations in the country. Avdalas projects to be the point guard, Brown as a slashing two-guard, and Able on the wing. That said, all these players can generate offense for themselves and others off the dribble. Malone and this staff correctly identified guard play as the most important position group on the team.
Style of Play
This ties into the last subtopic, but North Carolina's pace of play should be much faster. When your team's success depends on the frontcourt, as it did last season, the Tar Heels were reliant on a consistent half-court offense. This was problematic at times with poor perimeter shooting. North Carolina was at its best in transition off rebounds and forced turnovers. However, despite having formidable defenders, the Tar Heels were susceptible to allowing significant runs.
Under Malone, this team won't just be fast in transition; the half-court offense will be much more fluid with more playmakers on the perimeter. North Carolina will feature ball movement and plenty of driving and kicking, putting immense pressure on opponents' set defenses. Not to mention, with improved shooting from beyond the arc, the Tar Heels could deploy a four-wide around Sayon Keita and/or Cameron Fens (if he is eligible to play in games). This offense will be much more diverse.
Today's best reads
- How UNC Can Gain National Prowess in 2026-27 Season
- How Michael Malone's Coaching Has Already Impacted UNC
- 3 UNC Players Who Need Strong Starts to 2026-27 Season
- How Neoklis Avdalas Can Make Big Immediate Impact for UNC
- What Matt Able's Expanded Skill Set Means for UNC Role
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as Key Differences This Year's UNC Basketball Team Will Display.