Here are the easiest and most difficult stretches in UNC’s 2018-19 basketball schedule
North Carolina’s full basketball schedule is finally set.
UNC will host its annual late night with Roy event on Oct. 12. Its first conference game will be on Jan. 5 at Pitt. And it will end the regular season against Duke in Chapel Hill on March 9, before the ACC tournament begins on March 12 in Charlotte.
The Tar Heels had one of the toughest schedules in the country last season. UNC was 14-8 against “Quadrant I” teams.
Here is a deeper dive into UNC’s schedule:
Most difficult stretch
The entire month of February. UNC plays at Louisville on Feb. 2, against N.C. State, Miami and Virginia at home on Feb. 5, 9 and 11, at Wake Forest and at Duke on Feb. 16 and 20, then finally home games against Florida State and Syracuse on Feb. 23 and 26.
Fortunately for UNC, the toughest games during that stretch will be at home. UNC was 12-3 at the Dean Smith Center last season.
Easiest stretch
The easiest stretch on UNC’s schedule will be the three games it plays before the Las Vegas Invitational in November. UNC plays three consecutive home games against Stanford, Tennessee Tech and St. Francis on Nov. 12, 16 and 19th respectively.
Three games to know
1. UNC vs. Kentucky on Dec. 22. Kentucky will likely start the season ranked No. 1 in the country. In recent years, these games have been classics. For instance, the NCAA tournament game in 2017, when then-sophomore forward Luke Maye hit the game-winning jumper to send the Tar Heels to the Final Four.
2. Virginia at UNC on Feb. 11. Last season, UVa. twice got the best of UNC, once in the regular season 61-49, and in the championship game of the ACC tournament, 71-63. The Cavaliers have consistently been one of the top teams in the conference in recent years. They have beat the Tar Heels at least once in each of the last five seasons.
3. Duke at UNC on March 9. This is the final game of the regular season and it will be in Chapel Hill. The two teams split the regular season series at home last year. UNC won the final matchup in the semi-finals of ACC tournament 74-69.
Preseason schedule
Oct. 12: Late night with Roy, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network Extra
Nov. 2: Mt. Olive at UNC, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network Extra
Non-conference schedule
Nov. 6: UNC at Wofford, 7 p.m., TBA
Nov. 9: UNC at Elon, TBA, TBA
Nov. 12: Stanford at UNC, TBA, TBA
Nov. 16: UNC vs. Tennessee Tech, TBA, TBA
Nov. 19: UNC vs. St. Francis (Pa.), TBA, TBA
Nov. 22: UNC vs. Texas (Las Vegas Invitational) 7:30 p.m., FS1
Nov. 23: UNC vs. Michigan State or UCLA (Las Vegas Invitational), 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., Fox
Nov. 28: UNC at Michigan (ACC-Big Ten Challenge), 9 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 5: UNCW at UNC, TBA, TBA
Dec. 15: Gonzaga at UNC 7 p.m., TBA
Dec. 22: UNC vs. Kentucky (CBS Sports Classic in Chicago), 5:15 p.m., CBS
Dec. 29: Davidson at UNC, TBA, TBA
Jan. 2: Harvard at UNC, TBA, TBA
Conference schedule
Jan. 5: UNC at Pitt, noon, Raycom
Jan. 8: UNC at N.C. State, 9 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Jan. 12: Louisville at UNC, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
Jan. 15: Notre Dame at UNC, 9 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 19: UNC at Miami, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
Jan. 21: Virginia Tech at UNC, 7 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 29: UNC at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., RSN
Feb. 2: UNC at Louisville, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. or 6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Feb. 5: N.C. State at UNC, 8 p.m., Raycom
Feb. 9: Miami at UNC, noon, Raycom
Feb. 11: Virginia at UNC, 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 16: UNC at Wake Forest, noon, Raycom
Feb. 20: UNC at Duke, 9 p.m., ESPN and Raycom
Feb. 23: Florida State at UNC, 3:45 p.m., CBS
Feb. 26: Syracuse at UNC, 7 p.m./9 p.m., ESPN and Raycom
March 2: UNC at Clemson, 4 p.m./6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
March 5: UNC at Boston College, 8 p.m., Raycom
March 9: Duke at UNC, 6 p.m., or 8 p.m., ESPN
March 12-16: ACC tournament, at Charlotte.
This story was originally published September 13, 2018 at 10:21 AM.