Michael Malone era off to shaky start after win over Western Carolina

North Carolina made one of the more notable coaching moves during the offseason by hiring former Denver Nuggets and NBA champion Michael Malone. His tenure with the Tar Heels began by defeating Western Carolina 80-72 on opening night, but that score isn’t indicative of how close the game was. The Catamounts pulled within one point on multiple occasions in the second half and forced nine turnovers. They struggled to score only after guard Jaeden Roberts, who finished with 17 points, fouled out late in the game.