Analyst believes Michael Malone is putting pressure on Duke

[ASFN Admin]

When North Carolina made the decision to fire Hubert Davis this offseason, they did so with the intent of turning this program around. While UNC reached the national championship game under Davis in his first season, they failed to reach the Elite Eight in every season since then.

Now, the Tar Heels turn to new head coach Michael Malone.

The former NBA head coach is on the first few months of his new job and so far the reception has been a good one for Malone. UNC has been able to land a good 2026 recruiting class despite Malone just taking over and they are reportedly making positive strides in terms of prospects in 2027 and 2028. But there could be another impact that he's making.

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 believes that Malone could put a little scare into UNC's arch-rival Duke and head coach Jon Scheyer:

"When you talk to the Duke staff, they were not scared of the previous head coach at North Carolina, Hubert Davis," Goodman said on The Field of 68 After Dark. "They are scared to whatever degree. Maybe not terrified, but they are worried about Michael Malone at Carolina. They've seen the work ethic, and they've also seen, obviously, he can sell something that even Duke and Scheyer cannot, which is, hey, see this ring; this ring was from the NBA, I won a title. So you know there are a few factors here that again instill that fear factor into Scheyer and Duke."

Duke and UNC have yet to square off on the court, but they are getting into some key recruiting battles. Malone having a ring is huge in terms of being able to show recruits you can coach at the highest levels.

Scheyer has had success at Duke so far, winning a few ACC regular season and tournament titles. He's also taken them to the Final Four once. Let's hope this rivalry kicks up a notch with some big-time battles on and off the court.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Analyst believes Michael Malone is putting pressure on Duke

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