Michael Malone, UNC strike gold by landing 19.9 PPG Utah transfer combo guard originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Michael Malone and the North Carolina Tar Heels have been working overtime to reload for the 2026-27 season, especially at the guard position.Impressively, Malone’s crew struck gold in the transfer portal on Tuesday by landing a 19.9 points per game former Utah combo guard who will be an immediate impact contributor with the Tar Heels.“North Carolina has landed a commitment from Utah transfer guard Terrence Brown Jr., who will play his senior season for the Tar Heels,” 247TarHeels’ Noah Weiskopf stated.“Brown joins Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas as the second portal acquisition for new Tar Heels coach Michael Malone.”There weren’t a ton of positive takeaways from the Utes’ disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
After a 5-0 start to the year, Utah lost 22 of its final 27 contests and experienced five-game, seven-game, and six-game losing streaks throughout the year. The program’s season ended in the first round of the Big 12 tournament via a 73-66 loss to Cincinnati.Brown’s play was one of the few bright spots for the Utes, however, as he frequently utilized his decisiveness in one-on-one/ball screen situations and contact-seeking tendency to keep Utah in games for as long as possible. By joining a storied ACC program with high expectations and a winning culture like North Carolina, Brown should expect his production to equate to far more wins during his senior season.Needless to say, the Tar Heels should be excited about the addition of the multidimensional junior guard.More college basketball:Michael Malone, UNC lose former four-star recruit to South FloridaMichael Malone, UNC sign son of Tar Heels legend, two-time NBA championWe now know real reason why UNC cut ties with five-star recruit two months after his commitment