UNC releases non-conference men’s basketball schedule.
North Carolina men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis isn’t easing into his new role with the slate of potential top 10 teams that highlight the Tar Heels’ non-conference schedule.
UNC released its 10-game non-conference slate that includes games against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic and Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Bruins return every key player from their Final Four run last season and could end up being ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls. The Wolverines, who won the Big Ten last season and are looking at a preseason top 10 ranking, returned talented big man Hunter Dickinson and signed the nation’s top recruiting class.
The Heels will also participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off in Uncasville, Connecticut. They’ll face Purdue in the first game and play either Nova or Tennessee in the second game. The Boilermakers return their top eight scorers, led by Trevion Williams’ 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds. They’re another team that will likely find a spot in the top 10 of preseason polls.
The Wildcats return four of their top five scorers from last season’s Big East champion and are potentially a top 10 squad. The Volunteers added highly-touted point guard Kennedy Chandler to a group of veterans and are poised to be a preseason top 20 team.
One change Davis made from how former coach Roy Williams liked to prepare in the preseason is that the Heels will play both of their allotted exhibition games against Elizabeth City State and Loyola, Maryland. Williams generally preferred to use one of those games to have a closed scrimmage with another Division I school.
Carolina will only have one true road game in non-conference play, and that’s a trip to the College of Charleston. The Cougars also feature a new coach with Pat Kelsey, who replaced Anthony Grant after he took head coaching job at the Boston College.
The Hubert Davis’ era will officially begin on Nov. 12 against Brown in the Dean E. Smith Center.
The ACC usually releases its 20-game conference schedule in August. The Heels will play their first conference game the first weekend of December.
UNC men’s basketball non-conference schedule
Nov. 5 Elizabeth City State
Nov. 9 Loyola (Md.)
Nov. 12 Brown
Nov. 16 at College of Charleston
Nov. 20 vs Purdue
Nov. 21 vs. Villanova/Tennessee
Nov. 23 UNC Asheville
Dec. 1 Michigan
Dec. 11 Elon
Dec. 14 Furman
Dec. 18 vs UCLA*
Dec. 21 Appalachian State
*CBS Sports Classic, location TBA
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 11:37 AM.