After one game, the first roster of Michael Malone’s collegiate coaching career proved it can be amongst the country’s best.
Malone built his first UNC squad primarily through the transfer portal, landing starters in Terrence Brown (Utah), Matt Able (NC State) and Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech). Proving his prowess for working with international talent, Malone landed Malian center Sayon Keita (FC Barcelona).
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During Friday night’s convincing, 88-70 comeback win over USC in a preseason exhibition from First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, four different Tar Heels scored in double-figures, anchored by a career-high 25 from fifth starter and Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson.
After the big win, Malone spoke on the importance of having a deep team, with anyone capable of breaking out on a given night.
“I think that’s a huge positive and I think a huge benefit,” Malone said. “If you want to win at the highest level, if you want to be a team that’s a tough out come tournament time, you have to have depth, you have to have quality depth that you can rely on because guys at this stage are going to have off nights. You can go to guys on your bench and trust them. Trust is a big part of our culture. I just can’t talk about trust, I have to exhibit it and live it every single day. I got to trust in my players and even help them through mistake. I love the fact that we have the depth that we have. I love the fact that our bench came out there, scored 35 points and produced at a high level. They were a big part of us getting the win tonight.”
Sophomore guard Isaiah Denis was North Carolina’s best player off the bench, scoring a career-high 14 points, making four shots and all four free throws. Freshman wing Maximo Adams showcased how special a player he can be, scored 11 point, grabbings six rebounds and hustling for every loose ball.
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UNC won’t play against until October 18, when it travels to Indianapolis for a 6 p.m. exhibition clash with the Hoosiers. Can the Tar Heels’ bench depth lead them to a 2-0 preseason start?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Michael Malone highlights importance of bench depth during Friday win
