We are just moments away from seeing Michael Malone in action for the second time this season, as the North Carolina Tar Heels prepare to face off against Indiana. This will be another good opportunity for Malone and his staff to do some tinkering with this roster and figure out how to start off the regular season strong. Even better is that this game is against a Hoosiers team that historically gives UNC some issues, but perhaps today will play out differently (even though a win or loss wouldn’t be officially recorded).
The biggest thing to keep an eye on in this game will be UNC’s backcourt — Matt Able, Terrence Brown, and Neo Avdalas hope to have much better games this afternoon than they did against USC. It will also be worth keeping a close eye on Jarin Stevenson, who had a monster game against the Trojans. Was his performance repeatable, or did we just get served a special treat a week ago? We’ll find out in just a few moments.
Most importantly, this will be another good opportunity to get at look at UNC’s new head coach. While things were a little scary at the beginning of the USC game, Malone’s coaching prowess was on full display for a solid 30 minutes of action. It’s too early to say how well he’ll do in big-time situations, but hopefully his NBA pedigree has him more than prepared for any challenges they may face this season.
If you aren’t able to watch the game because it’s only on B1G+, come hang out with us because some of us will be willing to provide updates. As always, we will be back after the game with post-game analysis and takes. Until then, Go Heels!