Many don't seem to believe North Carolina has a lot of talent heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season, and compared to prior years, I don't think that's necessarily unfair.
Over much of its existence, North Carolina has fielded some of the most talented teams in college basketball history. I actually like the team that Michael Malone has put together this season, but the reality is that this team might not be as talented as some of the other squads we're going to see Malone put together over the next couple of years, if he stays in North Carolina and does what's needed to keep his job.
As for why that could be a problem, North Carolina has other things to consider. If North Carolina isn't going to be as talented as it has been in years past, there's no excuse to get outworked, outrebounded, or beaten in any area that ultimately comes down to effort.
Malone said that after North Carolina was embarrassed by Indiana in its recent exhibition game, it was very disappointing to see his guys get manhandled at this level.
"We got outrebounded 53-31. That's a crazy number," Malone said, per Yahoo. "To give up 20 offensive rebounds for 17 points, and that was a point of emphasis all week long in preparation for this team, knowing how big they are with Samet Yigitoglu and Aiden Sherrell and all the other guys.
"So just to be manhandled, to be outworked on the glass was disappointing, and that's not just on our bigs, that's on everybody to make sure we're rebounding," Malone continued. "We did a really poor job of that. I felt our defense, to be very honest, was really good," Malone continued. "We held that team to 36% from the field. That's a very good number, but you have to finish the possession."
Holding a team like Indiana to just 36% from the field is typically going to result in a lot of wins for North Carolina.
The problem, as Malone touched on, is giving teams like Indiana another chance to score.
When guys get offensive rebounds, it can lead to open shots underneath the basket, fouls, and ultimately extra possessions that lead to more points for a very talented squad.