North Carolina, Michael Malone land 4-star forward in big commitment

Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

North Carolina, Michael Malone land 4-star forward in big commitment

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated May 13, 2026 5:18 PM ET

The new chapter with Michael Malone as the North Carolina men’s basketball head coach is off to a strong start.

On Wednesday, Malone landed a commitment from four-star Class of 2026 forward Kevin Thomas, according to Joe Tipton of On3.

UNC receives a commitment from incoming FR Kevin Thomas.

6’7” athletic wing who brings explosiveness, perimeter scoring, and defensive versatility. Thrives getting downhill, can shoot the three (44% from deep as a SR), and has upside as a multi-positional defender.#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/ES2vqKAxV5
— Born Hatin Duke (@bornhatinduke) May 13, 2026

Thomas is a senior who played at Sagemont Prep in Florida, and he took a visit to Chapel Hill recently and has now made the decision official.

Thomas initially committed to LSU, but he backed out in March after Will Wade left NC State and returned to Baton Rouge as the Tigers’ new head coach.

As for North Carolina, the Tar Heels moved on from Hubert Davis and were linked to several big-name candidates before the surprising decision to hire Malone for his first-ever college head-coaching job.

Malone has wasted no time filling out the roster, which includes a five-star center from Spain and four incoming transfers, including Northwestern 7-footer Cade Bennerman and Utah guard Terrence Brown.

Thomas had also received offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami and Tennessee, among others, before deciding to go to North Carolina.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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