Five takeaways from UNC’s exhibition loss at Indiana

The North Carolina Tar Heels showed how good of a basketball team they can be during Michael Malone’s head-coaching debut, winning 88-70 on October 9, against a USC Trojans squad many expect to be in the Top 25.

Sunday was a different story, with UNC facing Indiana on the road in a second preseason clash. North Carolina lost, 76-58, in a game defined by bench production, post play and shooting struggles.

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Three Tar Heels scored in double figures, led by a career-high 12 points (5-of-9 FG, 2-of-3 FT) from Sayon Keita. UNC guard Jaydon Young scored 10 points, while Matt Able added 11 after going scoreless against USC.

The Hoosiers had a 37-19 advantage in bench points, which proved the ultimate difference-maker, plus they won the rebounding battle 53-31. Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay out-shined everyone on the court, pouring in a game-high 26 points, making eight of his 14 shots and all six free throws. Indiana senior Sam Alexis had 10 points off the bench. Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu combined for 21 rebounds.

North Carolina played without sophomore guard Isaiah Denis, who shined off the bench in last week’s win over the Trojans. Young’s presence helped overcome that absence, but the Tar Heels’ backcourt otherwise struggled off the bench.

Remember, this is preseason and these games don’t count. Wins are great, but there’s no need for overreaction to losses.

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As you prepare for UNC’s final exhibition clash, which comes next Tuesday vs. Charlotte, let’s take a deeper look at five takeaways from today’s result.

North Carolina missed Isaiah Denis

Isaiah Denis and UNC basketball earn an exhibition win vs. USC in Greensboro.

Denis, who quickly pulled himself from the transfer portal upon Malone taking over as head coach, showed how special he can be in Greensboro last week.

Denis wasn’t in uniform on Sunday. The Tar Heels’ bench struggled compared to the Hoosiers, with Denis’ 14 points missing.

Sayon Keita will be a special…

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Publish date : 2026-10-19 01:07:00

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