A fascinating Friday night matchup sees a strong Kansas squad heading to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina on their home court; but who triumphs in this vital early season showdown?
TV schedule: Friday, November 7, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
We didn’t expect to learn much about Kansas (1-0) on opening night and that’s certainly true after a 43-point win against Green Bay. On the contrary, this true road test early in the season gives us an early barometer on Bill Self’s squad and their talent.
The big returner for the Jayhawks is sophomore forward Flory Bidunga, who showed up with 23 points and 6 rebounds against the Phoenix in the opener. Many eyes have also been on freshman standout Darryn Peterson, whose 21-point effort was a great opening salvo to what should be a brief collegiate career. Beyond that, the Jayhawks got 10 points out of newcomer Melvin Council Jr. and have plenty of other talent in this rotation.
Kansas opened the season #19 in the AP Top 25 and find themselves 19th in KenPom at the moment. It’s far too early to make sweeping statements after an easy game earlier in the week, but the interior offense was very efficient and the defense did more than enough against an inferior opponent. Whether they’ll do that against a stronger front remains to be seen.
There’s certainly a different vibe for North Carolina (1-0) this season, with the Tar Heels looking for a major bounce back effort. Hubert Davis’s squad saw some significant faces leave town, but produced a 40-point win against Central Arkansas on opening night and are looking to make a major statement in this clash.
Freshman standout Caleb Wilson put a great foot forward in his own college debut, dropping 22 points in that Monday night victory. It certainly appears like Henri Veessar is living up to his billing, as the 7-footer and former Arizona center had a double-double on opening night and becomes a major weapon in this rotation. North Carolina had five players in double figures, including a great 15-point effort form new point guard Kyan Evans, the Colorado State transfer.
The season began with the Tar Heels sitting #25 in the AP rankings while they currently come in at 30th in the KenPom ratings. Much like with Kansas, there wasn’t too much to learn on opening night against a weaker foe, but the Tar Heels are a strong offensive unit with solid depth, though the hope is that this defense takes a step forward this year, especially with Evans and Veessar now in town.
A major throw down between the two teams once coached by Roy Williams gives us unexpected excitement in the opening week of the season. This is quite the early opportunity for Kansas in a true road environment, giving Peterson and the rest of this talent the national showcase. On paper, the Jayhawks are a more talented bunch, but North Carolina showed something in that first game and have the talent to be a contender in the ACC like usual.
This is the type of matchup where Veessar needs to inflict his will against Bidunga and the Jayhawks frontcourt. Playing on their homecourt gives North Carolina a major advantage here and we’ll see how the Jayhawks handle this hostile environment, but let’s not pretend like they don’t have the talent to get the job done here. Expect great showings from freshmen phenoms Peterson and Wilson, but we’re giving the slight edge for a major showing from the Tar Heels at home.