No basketball game is ever going to be perfect. Just ask the North Carolina Tar Heels, who welcomed Wyoming to the Dean Dome on Tuesday night.
UNC led the Cowboys by just two points at halftime, but whatever Michael Malone said during the break, it worked. North Carolina looked a much different team in the second half, out-scoring the Cowboys by 11 en route to a 76-63 victory.
The Tar Heels (3-0) didn't allow Wyoming (2-1) to control the offensive glass in second-half action, despite finishing the game with a 19-10 disadvantage. UNC's defense turned in another strong performance, holding the visiting Cowboys to 36 percent from the field, including a 26% mark from deep. Wyoming leading scorer Nasir Meyer shot 8-of-21, while Uriyah Rojas made just
two shots in 10 attempts off the bench.
North Carolina doesn't have a go-to scorer, but players across the squad who can drop 10 points on any given night. Terrence Brown and Isaiah Denis led the Tar Heels with 14 points each on Tuesday night, Maximo Adams and Sayon Keita added 13 points apiece, while Matt Able capped the double-digit scoring attack with 11.
Keita looked every bit of the dominant paint presence UNC needs, completing his night with eight rebounds and six blocks. Give Keita another 20 minutes, he completes a rare triple-double.
You can be upset about North Carolina's continued struggles on the glass, or you can be happy about the several additional positives. Read our top five takeaways from tonight's big win.
Sayon Keita gives the Tar Heels a chance in any game
Every good team has a strong big man. Through three preseason exhibitions and a trio of regular season games, Keita is living up to his hype.
Keita is more of a defensive-minded center, grabbing 14 rebounds and block seven shots in three November matchups. Keita's 7'1" frame makes opponent re-adjust their shots, while he can also defend the perimeter, but thunderous dunks are becoming common.
Not having a go-to scorer is a good thing.
Any team craves for a scorer like RJ Davis, but there's benefits to having a more balanced scoring attack. UNC's 2026-27 roster has a plethora of scorers, mainly in its backcourt.
Denis and Adams totaled 27 points on Tuesday...off North Carolina's bench. Able, Brown and Keita combined for 38 in the starting lineup. Jarin Stevenson can also score in bunches.
Rebounding has to be fixed
As the Tar Heels play lesser competition early in non-conference play, they won't have to worry about rebounding as much. When UNC transitions into a tough December and later, ACC play, rebounding will become an issue.
North Carolina lost the offensive rebound battle in each of its first three games, including a 19-10 disadvantage on Tuesday. The Tar Heels have height on their roster, but guys not named Keita and Stevenson need to produce.
Michael Malone is exactly the coach UNC needs
Malone is a no-nonsense, shoot you straight coach who loves his players. People loved Hubert Davis, but he gave off a nice guy mentality who sugarcoated things.
North Carolina needed a coaching change in the worst way. Malone may not have prior collegiate head-coaching experience, but he has a winning pedigree across 12 NBA seasons.
Just three games in, the Tar Heels already love their new coach. He knows how to win at both levels and is bringing a fresh, winning perspective to Chapel Hill.
UNC doesn't need to play star-level basketball to win every game
Blowing out Wofford was a welcome result. Beating Western Carolina by eight proved concerning, but a 13-point win against Wyoming is expected.
If North Carolina keeps winning, the final score doesn't matter. The Tar Heels will be challenged more against Georgia on Friday, but Malone will have his guys prepared.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Five takeaways from UNC basketball taking down Wyoming on Tuesday
