The wait continues for the start of the 2026-27 college basketball season as North Carolina fans are eagerly awaiting the first year of the Michael Malone era.
In the past few months, Malone and his staff have been hard at work building the roster. That included landing a good 2026 recruiting class and overhauling the roster with transfer portal additions. UNC did welcome back a few players as well from last year's team.
But a recent decision in college basketball, the five-for-five rule, has changed some things with the transfer portal as of right now. Former UNC guard Seth Trimble is returning for a fifth year, but it won't be with North Carolina and instead with Louisville. The Tar Heels didn't have a roster spot due to how late the decision came.
They did, however, add a player in Cameron Fens to boost the front court.
With the new rule in place, CBS Sports looked at the winners and losers from the "five-for-five" rule, and listed the Tar Heels as a loser:
On the bright side, you cannot describe North Carolina's frontcourt as slim anymore. Michael Malone scooped up South Dakota transfer Cameron Fens, a husky 7-foot, 255-pound big man, to finalize UNC's frontcourt picture. Fens looks like a polar bear compared to Sayon Keita, the 18-year-old slenderman, who will combine to make up the 5-man platoon for the Tar Heels.
Fens is big, broad and physical. He was one of the best rebounders in the Summit League last year, and that should be his path to playing time for UNC. The Tar Heels do not profile as an elite rebounding team at the moment, but Fens should help plug that hole.
But the defensive questions are clear as day. Fens struggled mightily to guard in space last season for a South Dakota defense that could not force tough shots. Opponents shot 58% at the rim against South Dakota when Fens was on the floor. He is going to be put into the action time and time again in the ACC.
While Fens isn't a blockbuster name by any means, it was still an important pickup for North Carolina as they had a big need for some help in the front court. Their depth will be tested, but Malone could find a way to make this work and it could end up being a strength.
Time will tell if that's the case or not.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball named a loser in transfer portal
