University of North Carolina Athletics
Sayon Keita
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
November 2, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the season opener.
By Adam Lucas
1. It's always nice to be undefeated. Carolina is 1-0 after a 80-72 victory over Western Carolina in the season opener.
2. Nice moment after the game, as Michael Malone was presented with the game ball by athletic director Steve Newmark and another guy who knows a little something about winning games at the Smith Center--Roy Williams.
3. Matt Able led Carolina with 18 points, sinking a pair of three-pointers but also going 4-for-4 from two-point range. Able also went 4-6 at the free throw line and made a key driving layup with four minutes left to provide a little cushion. He's the Heels' most dangerous perimeter shooter, but he's even more effective when he presents the threat of driving to the rim.
4. Some of Carolina's shortcomings were highlighted when Sayon Keita picked up two first-half fouls and was limited to just nine minutes in the opening 20. Keita's +8 was Carolina's best figure in the first half. The Heels, of course, are still waiting for an eligibility ruling on Cameron Fens. Keita was impactful all night and finished +14, easily the team leader in that category. He did have only two more rebounds than Wanda, though, and the Heels need more from him in that category.
5. That's part of why the Catamounts outrebounded Carolina for the game, 41-32. The leading Tar Heel rebounder was Neo Avdalas with seven. The Heels have to figure out a way to get more second chances. They had just seven offensive rebounds on 32 missed field goals. WCU led the second chance points category, 13-8.
6. That's how WCU was able to make it a nervous evening for much of the night in Chapel Hill. The visitors had four different shots to take the lead at varying junctures in the second half and missed three and committed one turnover.
7. Avdalas had his typical all-around game and contributed 13 points, those seven boards, and four assists, which tied Isaiah Denis for the team lead. It wasn't a perfect night, as Avdalas also had three turnovers.
8. Nice burst at the end of the first half from Maximo Adams, who scored seven points, had a block, and grabbed a couple of rebounds. As Malone has repeatedly mentioned, Carolina needs rebounding from everyone, and Adams is an important part of that equation. Adams finished as the fourth Tar Heel in double figures with 10 points, and he also had four rebounds in 19 minutes. Everyone knew about his shooting (he made two of four three-pointers), but if he can hit the boards effectively, he'll find minutes.
9. One of Terrence Brown's best assets is the ability to get the ball to the rim when you need it. He did it twice in late-clock situations in Monday's game. The last came with 4:44 left and Carolina holding a five-point lead. His basket and free throw pushed it to eight and made things feel a little more comfortable. Brown only shot 3-for-11, but he scored 14 points because he went 8-10 from the line.
10. It never hurts to practice. Angelo Brizzi was 2-4 from the charity stripe in the first half and was the first Tar Heel out of the locker room at halftime, well ahead of his other teammates. He immediately went straight to the free throw line to work on his stroke. Brizzi hit 83 percent of his free throws last year at Buffalo and is a career 78 percent shooter from that distance. He'll be just fine.
11. Carolina continues the long six-game season opening homestand with a Friday date against Wofford at 7 p.m.
1. It's always nice to be undefeated. Carolina is 1-0 after a 80-72 victory over Western Carolina in the season opener.
2. Nice moment after the game, as Michael Malone was presented with the game ball by athletic director Steve Newmark and another guy who knows a little something about winning games at the Smith Center--Roy Williams.
3. Matt Able led Carolina with 18 points, sinking a pair of three-pointers but also going 4-for-4 from two-point range. Able also went 4-6 at the free throw line and made a key driving layup with four minutes left to provide a little cushion. He's the Heels' most dangerous perimeter shooter, but he's even more effective when he presents the threat of driving to the rim.
4. Some of Carolina's shortcomings were highlighted when Sayon Keita picked up two first-half fouls and was limited to just nine minutes in the opening 20. Keita's +8 was Carolina's best figure in the first half. The Heels, of course, are still waiting for an eligibility ruling on Cameron Fens. Keita was impactful all night and finished +14, easily the team leader in that category. He did have only two more rebounds than Wanda, though, and the Heels need more from him in that category.
5. That's part of why the Catamounts outrebounded Carolina for the game, 41-32. The leading Tar Heel rebounder was Neo Avdalas with seven. The Heels have to figure out a way to get more second chances. They had just seven offensive rebounds on 32 missed field goals. WCU led the second chance points category, 13-8.
6. That's how WCU was able to make it a nervous evening for much of the night in Chapel Hill. The visitors had four different shots to take the lead at varying junctures in the second half and missed three and committed one turnover.
7. Avdalas had his typical all-around game and contributed 13 points, those seven boards, and four assists, which tied Isaiah Denis for the team lead. It wasn't a perfect night, as Avdalas also had three turnovers.
8. Nice burst at the end of the first half from Maximo Adams, who scored seven points, had a block, and grabbed a couple of rebounds. As Malone has repeatedly mentioned, Carolina needs rebounding from everyone, and Adams is an important part of that equation. Adams finished as the fourth Tar Heel in double figures with 10 points, and he also had four rebounds in 19 minutes. Everyone knew about his shooting (he made two of four three-pointers), but if he can hit the boards effectively, he'll find minutes.
9. One of Terrence Brown's best assets is the ability to get the ball to the rim when you need it. He did it twice in late-clock situations in Monday's game. The last came with 4:44 left and Carolina holding a five-point lead. His basket and free throw pushed it to eight and made things feel a little more comfortable. Brown only shot 3-for-11, but he scored 14 points because he went 8-10 from the line.
10. It never hurts to practice. Angelo Brizzi was 2-4 from the charity stripe in the first half and was the first Tar Heel out of the locker room at halftime, well ahead of his other teammates. He immediately went straight to the free throw line to work on his stroke. Brizzi hit 83 percent of his free throws last year at Buffalo and is a career 78 percent shooter from that distance. He'll be just fine.
11. Carolina continues the long six-game season opening homestand with a Friday date against Wofford at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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