Tar Heels Start Season With Win Over Penn 86-71
Posted Nov 16, 2008
Freshman Tyler Zeller scored 18 points Saturday to help top-ranked North Carolina beat Pennsylvania 86-71 despite playing without reigning national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough. Deon Thompson added 17 points for the Tar Heels, who led by double figures much of the day yet had trouble putting together a game-sealing run without their injured star senior roaming the paint. North Carolina was also without fellow senior Marcus Ginyard.
(Tar Heel Blue)
Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting
Big expectations: Inside Michael Malone’s retooling of UNC’s frontcourtThe centerpiece of UNC Basketball's rebuild is Sayon Keita, a 7-foot-1, 205-pound prospect Michael Malone scouted personally in Huelva, Spain, shortly after taking the job...
Sun Sep 6, 2026Michael Malone on first transfer portal experience: ‘I felt like I was Keanu Reeves in The Matrix’
The Tar Heels, who had a laundry list of candidates, eventually reached a deal with NBA Champion head coach Michael Malone, which was a landmark...
Sun Sep 6, 2026
Scorers, shooters, and facilitators: Michael Malone’s backcourt takes shape
"When that portal opened the day I got the job, it seems like five months ago, we addressed the backcourt,” Michael Malone said at a...
Sun Sep 6, 2026
Michael Malone: 'I like our front court'
Michael Malone on Alexandros Samodurov: "We call him Samo because Samodurov is a mouthful. Samo, another guy we got from Europe playing for Panathinaikos. Samo...
Sun Sep 6, 2026