Although the North Carolina Tar Heels haven’t officially announced it yet, it’s highly probable that Panathinaikos B.C. big man Alexandros Samodurov’s pledge will be revealed soon.
Nick Delahanty of Keepin’ It Heel reported on Thursday night that “the news of Samodurov committing to North Carolina is a bit premature, according to sources close to the situation.” Regarding this possible match, nothing has been formalized as of this time. Naturally, as we all know, the recruiting industry may change quickly at times, so it’s possible that the official announcement is on the way, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Finding a suitable replacement for Henri Veesaar, who elected to stay in the 2026 NBA draft after declaring last month, is new UNC head coach Michael Malone’s top offseason objective. Samodurov has intriguing shooting potential, but Sayon Keita, who was signed in late April, offers a powerful classic two-way rim-runner.
Nikola Jokic’s playmaking with the Denver Nuggets helped Malone’s offensive, but college defenses will be simpler to plan against. The growth of Christian Braun and Peyton Watson offers hope if Samodurov makes a commitment.
On Panathinaikos, which includes NBA veterans like Omer Yurtseven, Kenneth Faried, Richaun Holmes, Cedi Osman, and Juancho Hernangomez, Samodurov didn’t get much playing time. A couple years in a collegiate system could be beneficial for this player.
Naturally, all it takes to get back on track for the NBA is a year of development. It’s not like Samodurov is hoping for a long career in collegiate basketball because he did declare for the 2026 draft.
Soon enough, we’ll know if Malone can sign the seven-footer and what UNC can do for his NBA chances.
