Wyoming vs North Carolina prediction: Without Cameron Fens, North Carolina's rebuilt frontcourt faces Wyoming's glass

A blue blood starts over

North Carolina returns 17.0% of last season's minutes. That is nearly a full rebuild, and it comes in Michael Malone's first season on the bench after Hubert Davis departed. The Tar Heels were left out of the AP preseason Top 25 released Oct. 19. Last season's team numbers describe players who are mostly gone, so they are a weak guide here.

The new core arrived by transfer. Terrence Brown scored 19.9 points per game at Utah last season on a usage rate of 33.8%, the share of possessions he finished. Angelo Brizzi made 37% of his threes at Buffalo, and Neo Avdalas ran Virginia Tech's offense at 4.5 assists per game. Freshman Maximo Adams started the Oct. 27 exhibition alongside Brown, Avdalas, Stevenson and Sayon Keita. UNC closed that night with a 9-0 run in overtime to beat Charlotte 89-82.

The hole in the middle

The piece that doesn't fit yet is the center. Grad transfer Cameron Fens averaged 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks at South Dakota last season. He remains ineligible while he seeks a fifth year and missed the Oct. 27 exhibition, with no ruling reported since then. Guard Matt Able, who started UNC's first two preseason games, was not in uniform Oct. 27 for an undisclosed reason. Nothing newer has surfaced on either player.

Without Fens, Stevenson could spend time at center. He is the most experienced returner, but he averaged 4.4 rebounds last season as a forward. That matters against Wyoming, which grabbed 34.5% of its own misses last season, 67th in the country. Forward Gavin Gores shot 60.7% from the field in limited minutes and is the kind of interior finisher who benefits from second chances.

Wyoming brings continuity and a foul problem

Wyoming is new too, but less so. The Cowboys return 43.0% of last season's minutes from an 18-15 team that reached the NIT for the first time since 2003. Sundance Wicks is in his third season. Nasir Meyer (12.9 points per game last season) and Khaden Bennett are back, and Bennett posted a 121.6 offensive rating, points produced per 100 possessions. Transfers Canin Jefferson and Renars Sondors add scoring from North Alabama and UL Monroe.

The weakness last season was the whistle. Wyoming's opponents drew free throws at a rate of 46.7% of their field goal attempts, 361st of 365. UNC's new guards can make that cost real points: Brown shot 77.5% at the line last season and Brizzi shot 84%. Wicks didn't sound satisfied after a 76-61 exhibition win over College of Idaho on Oct. 24. Asked whether he was pleased, he said, "Absolutely not," and talked about needing more toughness.

What to watch

• Stevenson's minutes at center. If UNC plays small, check whether Wyoming's rebounding edge from last season shows up early.
• Foul trouble for the Cowboys. A Wyoming team that sends Brown and Brizzi to the line repeatedly will struggle to keep pace.
• Wyoming's threes. The Cowboys took 42.3% of their shots from deep last season but made just 33.0%, 240th nationally.
• The Smith Center crowd. The programs have played only once, a 90-74 UNC win in the 2003 NIT.