Analysis: No. 9 UNC men's basketball prepares for difficult non-conference schedule

As losses continue to pile up for UNC football, fans have turned their attention towards Chapel Hill’s Blue Blood program, counting down the days until the first tip-off for the North Carolina men's basketball team. 

The preseason No. 9 Tar Heels have kept their expectations as high as ever. Hungry for a national championship after last season’s devastating 89-87 defeat in the Sweet 16, UNC has brought a mix of experience and young talent to this year's roster. 

But to get to that national championship, the team must endure the gauntlet of the 2024-25 season’s schedule. With matchups against the top-two preseason ranked teams and potential matchups against four of the top five, North Carolina will certainly be battle-tested by March.

The Tar Heels will embark on one of their biggest challenges of the year in the second game of the season: a visit to Allen Fieldhouse to take on preseason No. 1 Kansas on Nov. 8.

The top-10 matchup will be the first major test for the UNC front court, which will no longer feature center Armando Bacot. Kansas center Hunter Dickinson was recently named to the preseason All-American First Team, averaging just under 18 points and 10.8 rebounds last season. Dickinson will bring a daunting early-season matchup for junior forward Jalen Washington and graduate forward Jae’Lyn Withers.

Following a matchup in Manoa, the Tar Heels will stay in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25-27. Opening play against Dayton, a challenging second round awaits with either No. 5 Iowa State or No. 11 Auburn. With both teams ranked in the top five of KenPom's preseason adjusted defensive efficiency, this will be a test of UNC's early offensive identity. 

Potential third round matchups include Colorado, Memphis, Michigan State and defending national champions No. 3 UConn.

On Dec. 4, the Tar Heels will face a familiar foe. 

After last year’s Sweet 16 matchup with the Crimson Tide, UNC is ready for a shot at revenge. North Carolina will host No. 2 Alabama in the ACC/SEC Challenge, showcasing two of the nation’s best guards in graduate RJ Davis and Alabama’s Mark Sears. 

The Crimson Tide has reloaded its talent, becoming the nation’s top-ranked team in KenPom's preseason adjusted offensive efficiency. Head coach Nate Oats' team also recruited a slew of talented transfers and possesses the seventh-best transfer class in the nation. The lineup boasts guard Chris Youngblood and center Cliff Omoruyi, and four of the nation’s top-50 incoming first-years. 

After, North Carolina will compete in a pair of neutral-site games before conference play gets into full swing. 

The Tar Heels will take on No. 21 Florida on Dec. 17 in Charlotte. After making a run to the SEC tournament finals and an appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Gators are looking to make a splash in their revamped, competitive conference. Guard Walter Clayton Jr. is returning for his senior season, along with his high-octane offensive arsenal that produced 17.6 points per game last season.

UNC will then travel to New York on Dec. 21 for a bout with No. 22 UCLA at Madison Square Garden in the CBS Sports Classic. The Bruins returned three of their top four scorers from last season, while adding more depth with guards Kobe Johnson and Skyy Clark through the transfer portal.

Just before the new year, the Tar Heels will start conference play where they are predicted to finish second in the ACC.

With conference realignment shaking up the landscape of college athletics, UNC avoided the long flights to California and instead will host all three new ACC members — California, SMU and Stanford — at the Dean E. Smith Center in January. SMU stands out as a dark horse in its new conference, with a roster that’s seen over 18,000 combined career minutes, the second most in the ACC.

@dylanstalterr

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