UNC Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Tar Heels

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 13: Head coach Hubert Davis talks with R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game against the Miami Hurricanes at the Dean E. Smith Center on February 13, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports /

Observations of UNC Basketball’s schedule

As always, the Tar Heels will test themselves in non-conference play, taking on top teams from around the country. They’ll host Tennessee on November 29th in the first ever ACC/SEC Challenge, then battle defending national champion UConn in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 5th. MSG was the site of Carolina’s most exciting victory a season ago, a comeback win over Ohio State that featured a Pete Nance buzzer beater to force overtime.

After a one-year hiatus, UNC will renew its rivalry with Kentucky, this time in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta on December 16th. The Heels and Wildcats have played many thrillers in recent years, including the 2017 Elite Eight that saw Luke Maye send Carolina to the Final Four, and the matchup earlier that season that featured Kentucky freshman Malik Monk exploding for 47 points in a 103-100 Wildcats victory.

Four days after battling Kentucky, the Carolina’s men’s and women’s teams will travel to Charlotte for the Jumpman Invitational to take on Oklahoma. This is the first time the Heels have played the Sooners since the 2009 Elite Eight game that featured the showdown between Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin. With apologies to Michael Jordan and Nike, we’re going to be calling this one the Brady Manek Invitational.

The Heels play Florida State to open ACC play on December 2nd, but start conference play in earnest a month later when they travel to Pittsburgh. In total, UNC will play five ACC teams twice: Florida State, N.C. State, Syracuse, Miami, and Duke. Carolina will host the Blue Devils on February 3rd, then close out the regular season against them in Durham on March 9th. Senior Day will take place against Notre Dame on March 5th.

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