Following back-to-back years that the Tar Heels have fallen short in the NCAA Tournament, Michael Malone enters his first season in charge of Carolina basketball with a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure in year one. The worst thing for Carolina fans would be to see the same end result in this upcoming season, as there is already a lot of hope and excitement buzzing around this year for the Tar Heels. Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesTo avoid that kind of disappointment, there is one thing that Michael Malone needs to focus on in this first year to get the team ready to make a deep run in the postseason tournament. Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jaydon Young (4) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesHow the Rotation Can Be a Game ChangerLast season under Hubert Davis, we saw an interesting rotation all season long and some questionable decisions down the stretch. Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) and North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jaydon Young (4) celebrate after a play against the VCU Rams in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesA great example is guard Jaydon Young, who, while only averaging about seven minutes per game, found himself injected into the starting role for a four-game stretch midway through the season. Even though those games went well for Hubert Davis, the overall sentiment remains in question. What a move like that can certainly do is throw the chemistry out of line and prevent the starting players from growing in that connection with one another. Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesGrace has to be given to Davis, though, as he dealt with injuries all season long, and it seemed like he was desperate to change something up and see what would work. Mar 9, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone talks to guard Jamal Murray (27) during a break in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesThe Goal for Next SeasonFor next season, Malone has to get the players into the right positions and use the right rotation to give this group the best chance of success. Minutes may be hard to distribute with the roster Malone has built thus far, but it's imperative to the success that each player is not playing under or over the amount of minutes that their importance reflects. Apr 1, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesCarolina will also need players willing to take on the roles of depth pieces and developmental players, and accept that their time is coming, though it may not be as early as next season.If players are playing in the right positions, at the right time, for the right duration of the game, Carolina could be a team to compete in the ACC. For a coach like Michael Malone, who has NBA experience at the highest level, I have no doubt that he will be able to provide Carolina basketball with these things.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow