Blue Blood Boost

North Carolina added an international prospect to bolster its frontcourt. How much of an impact can he make? Plus: scheduling news, Creighton's prep commitment and more.

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Good morning! We’ve officially entered June. Is it just me, or is this year flying by? Anyway, let’s get to the news:

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1. North Carolina’s ‘big’ international addition

When North Carolina lost big man Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft earlier this offseason, head coach Michael Malone was left with some major shoes to fill.

He took another step toward doing so over the weekend, adding Greek big man Alexandros Samodurov.

Samodurov, 21, most recently played for Panathinaikos in Greece’s top pro league and Euroleague in 25-26, the same pro team fellow Tar Heel Neoklis Avdalas played for before beginning his career at Virginia Tech. Samodurov also shined with the Greek U20 National Team last summer, posting 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket.

This 6-11 big man declared for the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft but ended up pulling his name out before the withdrawal deadline. Samodurov was ranked the No. 72 overall prospect via ESPN’s big board. He’s expected to bring some skill and the ability to stretch the floor at the five spot.

Samodurov and the other international Tar Heel center commit, Sayon Keita, will likely split time at the five spot next season. Those two have the upside to help replace the production Veesaar leaves behind.

Here’s where North Carolina’s roster now stands:

  • PG: Neo Avdalas

  • SG: Terrence Brown

  • SF: Matt Able

  • PF: Jarin Stevenson

  • C: Samodurov/Keita

  • Bench: Maxi Adams, Cade Bennerman, Isaiah Denis, Jaydon Young, Kevin Thomas, Malloy Smith.

With the Samodurov addition, the Tar Heels are starting to look more like a team that can compete with Duke, Louisville, Miami and Virginia atop the ACC next season.

2. Jimmy V Classic matchups set + more schedule news

Every year since 1995, the Jimmy V Classic has delivered some of the best non-conference matchups on the college basketball calendar while honoring the legacy of Jim Valvano and raising money for cancer research.

We now know the matchups for this year's event.

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