Overview
- Neoklis Avdalas, who committed Monday, becomes Malone’s first portal pickup as the 6-foot-9 Greek guard arrives from Virginia Tech after averaging 12.1 points and 4.6 assists as a freshman.
- UNC is adding former Providence head coach Kim English as an assistant, while the school already named Arkansas’ Chuck Martin associate head coach to give Malone veteran college recruiting and bench experience.
- Forward Jarin Stevenson announced he will return to Chapel Hill next season, as top scorer Caleb Wilson said he will enter the 2026 NBA Draft and five-star recruit Dylan Mingo reopened his recruitment.
- Malone and assistants met in person with Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris during a brunch visit as UNC pushes for top wings, and the Tar Heels also made the top seven for NC State guard Matt Able.
- The rapid moves reflect a break from UNC’s traditional coaching pipeline and a race against a tight portal window, with early gains and losses likely shaping how quickly Malone can stabilize next season’s roster.