Heel Tough Blog: Wyoming Recap
It wasn’t the most inspiring performance last night from the Tar Heels, but they got past Wyoming 76-63 to improve to 3-0 in the 2026-27 season, with their first major test on Friday night against Georgia. The Cowboys entered the game leading the country in offensive rebounding percentage, and they looked the part in the first half, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds on their way to bullying UNC on the glass, 25-15 in the first 20 minutes. The fact that Carolina even led at the break (31-290, is a reflection of how bad a shooting team Wyoming truly is, because a better shooting team would’ve built a double-digit lead, even on the road. In the second half, Carolina limited Wyoming’s damage on the offensive glass, as the visitors grabbed just 4 rebounds, allowing Carolina to flex their muscle and pull away for the 76-63 win, with the lead getting as big as 18 in the second half.
For all of Carolina’s struggles on the glass, the offense continues to be efficient and effective, and it’s carrying this team right now. Carolina shot 50% from the field last night, and 45% from behind the arc, on 9 makes, on a night where Carolina averaged 1.206 points per possession. Terrence Brown led UNC with 14 points, but got contributions from Isaiah Denis (14), Sayon Keita (13), Maximo Admas (13), and Matt Able (11), to give Carolina a balanced scoring attack.
On Friday, Carolina takes another step up in competition when they host the Georgia Bulldogs out of the SEC, and after last night, one thing is abundantly clear. This level of play can’t continue if Carolina wants to mold themselves into a team that can compete in the ACC, and for a respectable seed come March. The good news is that it’s still November, and the Tar Heels have a coach motivated to figure it out. Here’s what to take away from the win over Wyoming:
Toughness: After three games, it’s apparent that this team is soft, and Michael Malone is still searching for a way to get his team to toughen up. At the break, he told his team they were being punked, and that the streets were talking about how soft they are after getting pushed around by Wyoming. While they responded in the second half, at some point this team needs to draw first blood; they need to punch the opponent first. Terrence Brown and Maximo Adams are the two Tar Heels that play hard consistently, and until that changes, Carolina will continue to be stuck in the mud and fighting harder than they should to beat mid-major opponents.
Efficient Offense: Carolina’s offense continues to be efficient, even on a night where they go 9-18 from the foul line. Carolina has lessened their three-point attempts in each game since the opener, and the offense has benefited greatly from doing so. Even though they shot 45% from deep last night, they countered that with 40 paint points, opening up the Wyoming defense in the process.
Sayon Keita Delivers: Keita had his best game as a Tar Heel last night, recording 13 points, 8 rebounds, to go along with 6 blocks, the second most by a UNC freshman. His rim protection gives off John Henson vibes, and his ability to be a lob threat was finally on display last night, catching multiple alley-oops in the win. His development will help elevate UNC’s ultimate ceiling, and last night was a positive step in the right direction for him individually.
Bench Mob Delivers Again: Carolina’s depth is a strength for this team right now, and last night it impacted the outcome of the game in a major way. Isaiah Denis was tied with Terrence Brown to lead UNC in scoring with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Maximo Adams continued his hot start to the season, with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Angelo Brizzin and Alexandros Samodurov saw their minutes restricted last night, but Carolina’s bench still outscored Wyoming’s 30-28. With the play of Denis and Adams, there needs to be a long look at those guys earning minutes over Neo Avdalas and Jarin Stevenson, who have both struggled to start the season.
Free Throws: Had this game been closer, free throws would’ve been a major talking point coming out of the game, with UNC going just 9-18 from the line, with the starters going just 5-12, including Avdalas going 1-5. On the flip side, Carolina’s ability to value the basketball has improved their offense drastically. The Tar Heel turned it over 9 times last night, and for the first time since turnovers became an official stat back in 1979-80, UNC has committed less than 10 turnovers in each of their first three games for the first time in program history.
Smith Center Milestone: Last night was the 600th game in the history of the Dean Dome, and with the win, UNC is 510-90 all-time in the venue. In non-conference play, Carolina is 244-19 in the Smith Center.
Up Next:
Carolina is back in action on Friday night, when they host the Georgia Bulldogs. Tip is set for 7 PM on ESPN2.
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