The UNC basketball regular season is about to kick off, and center Cameron Fens is still, unbelievably, ineligible to play. As of October 27, the 7-footer, who transferred from South Dakota, hasn’t been cleared for a fifth year of eligibility, leaving Coach Michael Malone totally baffled and frustrated.
The “Great Mystery” That’s Keeping Fens Off The Court
It’s an absolute head-scratcher. Back in late August, the Tennessee Court of Appeals put a stay on an injunction that had granted temporary relief for Fens and other athletes. What does that even mean for the guy just trying to play ball? Coach Malone isn’t holding back, calling the whole situation “one of the great mysteries.” He’s coming from the NBA, right, so he’s seen a lot, but this is clearly pushing his buttons. “Really no update other than he’s still, unfortunately, ineligible at this time. We are allowing this process to play out. It’s one of the great mysteries for me, coming from the NBA, to have certain states are allowing guys to play and other states aren’t. What’s the difference?” Malone said after the Tar Heels’ recent 89-82 overtime exhibition win against Charlotte. “I would hope that the NCAA, at some point in time, tries to clean this up. Because Cameron Fens deserves to play. Cameron Fens deserves to be out there.” Malone is rightly heated about it, and you’ve gotta feel for Fens, practicing every day knowing he can’t actually hit the court when it counts. The team is backing him wholeheartedly, and they’re not giving up the fight.
UNC’s Frontcourt Needs Its 7-Footer, Big Time
Fens wasn’t just some casual addition, either. The Tar Heels brought him in this August specifically to bolster their frontcourt depth, and for good reason: last season, he was putting up serious numbers, averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Those are stats that could make a real difference for UNC. The Tar Heels added three other new faces too: international prospects Sayon Keita and Alex Samodurov, plus Northwestern transfer Cade Bennerman, who are joining senior returner Jarin Stevenson. Right now, Stevenson and Keita have been the starters in the post, but here’s the kicker: the Tar Heels were outrebounded in both of their last two preseason exhibition games, against Indiana and Charlotte. Yikes. That tells you everything you need to know about why they need Fens in there. That rebounding has to get sorted, and Fens is the guy who could absolutely help.
So, what’s next? UNC opens their regular season on Monday, November 2, against Western Carolina at the Smith Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and you can catch it on ACC Network. Let’s hope for some good news for Cameron Fens before then, because this team could really use their big man on the floor.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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