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North Carolina Basketball: An early look at the Tar Heels 2018-19 Non-Conference Schedule

By Tristan Freeman

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team react to their 86-65 loss to the Texas A
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team react to their 86-65 loss to the Texas A /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Norvell Jr.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Norvell Jr. /

Primetime matchups for North Carolina

Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 22-23)

Teams involved: Michigan State, Texas, and UCLA

By far the best event with a group of four teams assembled in quite some time, North Carolina will have two likely “Quad-1” games. There’s an excellent chance that all three potential opponents will be ranked throughout the season, making this a must-see event around Thanksgiving.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Nov. 26-28)

The team involved: TBD

For television purposes, it’s always a high-profile program or one expected to be really this the upcoming season. The pairings don’t get released until right before the season, but Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, and maybe Purdue are the favorites to get the Tar Heels since both Michigan and Michigan State could be excluded since they recently played them.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (Nov. 15)

2017-18 season record: 32-5 (17-1 in WCC)

The first of a home and home series, the Bulldogs travel to North Carolina in a battle of preseason top-10 teams. Gonzaga will return the program’s top NBA prospects next year, and it could be the same kind of instant classic the national title game was between these two.

Because they play in the WCC, the Bulldogs need the game a lot more for NCAA Tournament purposes. It’s going to be one of the biggest non-conference games of the 2018-19 non-conference.

Kentucky Wildcats (Nov. 22)

2017-18 season record 26-11 (10-8 in SEC)

In the annual CBS Sports Classic, these two historical programs will face off for the first time since Luke Maye’s game-winner sent Kentucky home in the Elite Eight a couple of years ago.

Next: Preseason Top 25 for 2018-19

Both teams will look completely different from their last encounter, with the Wildcats thinking revenge. It’ll be just a week after Gonzaga, so the mental fortitude for the Tar Heels will be tested like no other before ACC play begins.

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