Kansas hosts North Carolina in an early matchup with high expectations in Lawrence. Do the Tar Heels score a huge early-season win or do the Jayhawks hold serve at home?
TV schedule: Friday, November 8, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas
A very early challenge awaits North Carolina (1-0), as the Tar Heels will have quite the fight ahead of them on Friday. Hubert Davis’s team looks a little different this season, but still has the talent to be a major contender at the national level. After a shaky opening night win over Elon, we’ll see just how much of a contender they are right off the bat.
The player to watch for the Tar Heels is certainly RJ Davis, who had 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on opening night. He’s one of the early season favorites for National Player of the Year and should be one of the country’s best guards. Sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau (17 points, 8 assists against Elon) showed significant promise and is a rising name at the national level. Frontcourt leader Jae’lyn Withers had a double-double on Monday night.
While North Carolina sits 9th in the AP Top 25 poll, they sit just 17th in the KenPom ratings. There’s a lot of potential for great things with these Tar Heels, but they legitimately had issues against Elon before pulling away late, giving up a ton of 3-pointers with significant shooting worries of their own. Can they put together a more complete performance in just their second game of the season?
Across the court, Kansas (1-0) has their own sky-high expectations coming into the season. The Jayhawks slightly underperformed last year but have the talent to win another Big 12 title in 2025. Opening night was a laugher, as the Jayhawks hit their shots and controlled the game in a 30-point win over Howard, though this is clearly a step up in level of competition.
There’s no shortage of talent in Lawrence, though All-American center Hunter Dickinson is certainly the focal point. The 7-footer had 16 points and 6 rebounds against the Bisons and is more than capable of taking over a game in the frontcourt. One of their offseason transfer editions was actually the leading scorer on Monday, as Zeke Mayo (19 points) looks pretty reliable after success in the Summit League. Also look out for veteran point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., a reliable backcourt threat.
Another team somewhat underrated by the analytics, the top-ranked Jayhawks are just 7th in the most recent KenPom ratings. The moves they made in the offseason have put them in great position, though this team clearly still has work ahead of them after last year’s inconsistency. There weren’t glaring flaws in the season opener, with this Kansas squad shooting lights out, but how will they handle a much tougher foe?
The initial issue for the Tar Heels is handling a big like Dickinson. They don’t have Armando Bacot in the paint anymore, leaning heavily on Withers and other pieces in the frontcourt. There’s a high chance that Davis is the most talented player on the court, but if North Carolina isn’t getting the job done in the paint then that advantage goes for naught. They’ll clearly need to play a better defensive game than they did in the opener.
Kansas has more talent, more established weapons, and the importance of homecourt advantage. We’re leaning towards the Jayhawks to get the job done, but don’t expect this to be a laugher. Davis and Cadeau are a deadly backcourt duo, and they’ll keep the Tar Heels in business, but will they have enough firepower if Dickinson has one of these elite-type performances?
Prediction: Kansas 82, North Carolina 74