Mike Malone needs elite recruiter for North Carolina gamble to work
Billy Donovan made sense in ways Mike Malone does not. North Carolina has to ensure Malone hires elite recruiters who know how to work the system.
North Carolina basketball moved quickly on Monday, hiring a former NBA coach ... but not Billy Donovan. The Tar Heels hired former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone in a surprising off-the-radar move experts did not anticipate.
Let's talk about this huge development for UNC basketball, which occurred before the national championship game between UConn and Michigan. Didn't want to wait The transfer portal opens this week. North Carolina very obviously did not want to wait for Billy Donovan to coach out the remainder of the NBA season with the Chicago Bulls and then pivot to UNC well after the opening of the portal.
We can debate the value of the decision, but it's clear that was the calculation North Carolina made. So what about the portal? Obviously, UNC basketball is banking on Mike Malone's identity as an NBA championship coach to bring in transfers.
However, it's a cutthroat market. Dusty May of Michigan, Todd Golden of Florida, John Calipari of Arkansas, and other seasoned coaches are out there looking for their guys. The idea that Mike Malone will naturally attract the very best portal prospects is not a given.