North Carolina just received the excellent news of small forward Kevin Thomas committing to play in Chapel Hill, and it’s followed up by even more phenomenal news and promise for next season.
Alexandros Samodurov Commits
Alexandros Samodurov, a Greek power forward and the former teammate of Neoklis Avdalas, the point guard transfer from Virginia Tech, has committed to play for North Carolina next season. This is exciting news for the Blue Devils.
— Basketballmaniacs_ (@bballmaniacs_) May 14, 2026
Michael Malone and the newly built Carolina staff had been targeting him for weeks, and they finally got the commitment they’ve been waiting for.
For a season with many new faces, team chemistry is something that isn’t very existent with this North Carolina team. They do have some pre-existing chemistry in the form of the three returning players in Isaiah Denis, Jarin Stevenson, and Jaydon Young.
That being said, those returners never really shared the court together. They had limited minutes all season where they actually played in game together, so the pre-existing team chemistry North Carolina gets with this signing should be promising and exciting.
Where Will He Find Himself Within The Lineup?
It will be difficult for Samodurov to begin the season inside of the starting lineup due to Jarin Stevenson’s return, but could absolutely end up seeing starter minutes. While Avdalas will likely find himself in the starting rotation and Samodurov will likely play off of the bench, the two should share the court for plenty of minutes regardless.
Samodurov comes in at six-foot-eleven and will be a perfect addition to the North Carolina roster as it currently stands. The frontcourt for the Tar Heels has been lacking and he will provide that height and length to be able to be a major asset on both ends of the court.
He’s currently 21 years old and has been an excellent player overseas in Greece, and will now bring that talent to Chapel Hill. He’ll also be a viable depth piece, and hopefully a player Coach Malone can develop for a couple of years.
With his talent and size, and Malone’s knowledge of development, especially with international talent, Samodurov brings a lot of promise to Chapel Hill…