Tennessee vs North Carolina: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Tennessee and North Carolina tip it off in Durham, NC on Wednesday night in a battle between two of the top ranked teams in the nation.

TV schedule: Wednesday, November 29th, 7:15 pm ET, ESPN

Arena: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel, North Carolina

On Wednesday night we have a battle of heavyweights as Tennessee and North Carolina are set to tip off in Chapel Hill. The Volunteers will look to bounce back from their 1-2 showing in Hawaii; however, their losses were against Purdue and Kansas, two top five teams in the nation. The Tar Heels will look to build on a solid showing in Atlantis, as they went 2-1 with an overtime loss to Villanova. There are plenty of things to consider when previewing this matchup, so let’s take a look.

Tennessee is ranked 10th in the nation with a 4-2 record and many consider them to be a national title contender. Dalton Knecht anchors the offense, as he comes in averaging 17.5 ppg. Outside of Knecht, they have plenty of options, but to be the threat many consider them to be, people will need to start showing up. Santiago Vescovi runs the offense, but he is only averaging 8.8ppg. While he is more of a facilitator, I think it will be key for him to contribute a little more from a points perspective if they want to leave North Carolina with a victory. The true calling card for Tennessee is their defense, as it is tops in the nation according to KenPom to start the year. They are going to make things extremely difficult for this Tar Heel team.

North Carolina comes in ranked 17th and boasts a top 15 offense. RJ Davis and Armando Bacot are two of the best players in the country, scoring 18.2 ppg and 15.8 ppg, respectively. The addition of Harrison Ingram (14.2 ppg) has given this team a key third option as well as more size that they haven’t been able to provide Bacot with in the past. They can hurt you inside and out and can score with anyone in the country. Cormac Ryan has been another solid addition for this team, but he is questionable on Wednesday with an ankle injury. The Tar Heels have gotten off to a solid start this season, but Tennessee is without a doubt their biggest test to date.

All things considered, this game has all the makings of a must watch. Two of the best teams wearing two of the best colors in one of the best stadiums in the nation, it doesn’t get much better than that. I think the loss of Cormac Ryan will really hurt UNC in a game against a physical defense that wants to get in your face and turn you over. Tennessee has also proved that they’re not afraid of hostile environments, as they went into The Kohl Center and beat Wisconsin handily in one of their first games of the season.

I think the UNC defense will give the Volunteers plenty of chances to get their offense going, and the Tennessee defense will make things too difficult for the Tar Heels to keep pace.

Prediction: Tennessee 78, North Carolina 70