North Carolina opens the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 at home against Elon before an early-season test against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 8. The UNC early-season matchup against the Jayhawks is part of a loaded nonconference slate heading into Year 4 of the Hubert Davis era.
The Tar Heels head to The Aloha State during Thanksgiving week for the Maui Invitational. UNC opens up the marquee MTE against Dayton and could have a date with two-time reigning national champion UConn if both squads run the table and reach the championship game.
UNC is coming off a loss in the Sweet 16 to Alabama and will have to replace three starters — including one of the most accomplished players in program history, Armando Bacot. The Tar Heels return All-American guard RJ Davis, who enters the season as one of the favorites to win Naismith Player of the Year.
Five-star recruits Ian Jackson and Drake Powell are expected to play a significant role in the rotation due to Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan departing the program. Sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, a former five-star in the 2023 recruiting cycle, is also expected to open the season as a starter in the backcourt alongside Davis.
North Carolina is ranked No. 4 in Gary Parrish’s latest Top 25 and 1 . Here are the top five North Carolina nonconference games to watch this season.
1. Alabama
When: Dec. 4, 2024 Where: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
There is nothing like a good rematch, and if this game is anything like what happened at the Sweet 16, it should be a treat for college basketball fans. The Crimson Tide should open the season as one of the top teams in the country due to the return of All-American guard…
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