The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

UNC men's basketball schedule is highlighted by senior night on March 9 vs Duke

roy mad.jpeg
UNC head coach Roy Williams directs his team in North Carolina's win over Wake Forest on Saturday in the Smith Center.

The North Carolina men’s basketball team certainly will not be lacking quality competition this season in its quest to return to the mecca of basketball glory—the Final Four.

On Thursday morning, the team released its full 2018-2019 schedule, a gauntlet that includes 14 opponents that made the NCAA Tournament last year. The formidable slate of games is nothing new for UNC — last season the team boasted the toughest schedule in the nation, according to KenPom.com and Go Heels.

However, there is one date that is sure to ruffle the feathers of students — a March 9 contest against Duke. The Saturday game is also UNC's senior night, and the second day of the university's spring break, meaning many students will not be in town for the annual affair.

The Tar Heels begin the regular season on Nov. 6 with a date against Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. Last season, the Terriers tamed North Carolina, 79-75, at the Smith Center, handing head coach Roy Williams perhaps his most shocking loss at the helm of the program.

UNC plays its first regular season contest on the newly-dedicated Roy Williams Court on Nov. 12, when former assistant Jerod Haase brings his Stanford squad to Chapel Hill.

On Nov. 16, the Tar Heels play host to Tennessee Tech to kick off the Las Vegas Invitational. Three days later, the team takes on St. Francis (Pa.) in Chapel Hill before heading to Las Vegas on Thanksgiving Day for a matchup with Texas. The winner of that game will face the victor of Michigan State and UCLA one day later on Nov. 23, while the losing teams also battle it out that same day.

The schedule does not get any easier from there, as the Tar Heels head to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 28 for a 9 p.m. tip off against Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Last season, Luke Maye led the way in a Tar Heel blowout with 27 points and six rebounds, but the Wolverines got the last laugh with a run to the national championship game.

Perhaps the most intriguing game of the season is on Dec. 15, when Mark Few and Gonzaga travel to Chapel Hill for a rematch of the 2017 National Championship. The Bulldogs boast a formidable lineup, including Rui Hachimura, who was a West Coast Conference first-team selection in 2017-2018. 

UNC plays three more non-conference opponents, including Kentucky on Dec. 22 in the CBS Sports Classic, before beginning a tough ACC slate. The meeting with the Wildcats in Chicago is the first between the two teams since the 2017 Elite Eight, a contest won by Luke Maye’s buzzer-beating jump shot.

Cameron Johnson leads his team to Pittsburgh on Jan. 5 for his first visit since he transferred from the program following the 2016-2017 season. The Tar Heels then head to Raleigh to face N.C. State before playing their first conference home game on Jan. 12 against Louisville. The Tar Heels face both the Wolfpack and the Cardinals twice this season, along with Miami and Duke.

The Hurricanes visit Chapel Hill on Feb. 9, less than a year after spoiling Joel Berry and Theo Pinson’s senior night with a 91-88 victory.

Two days later, UNC welcomes Virginia to town. The Cavaliers won the ACC regular season and tournament championships last season. However, Tony Bennett’s squad is remembered more as the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed (UMBC) in the NCAA Tournament.

On Feb. 20, the Tar Heels visit the always raucous Cameron Indoor Stadium for a 9 p.m. tip against the Blue Devils. Less than three weeks later, Duke marches to the Smith Center for UNC’s senior night. 

The March 9 game will be the last time Maye, Johnson and Kenny Williams set foot on Roy Williams Court and should be an emotional spectacle, no matter the final score. However, with the university beginning spring break on March 8, the atmosphere could lack some of its normal electricity.

The team will take the court for the first time on Oct. 12 for Late Night with Roy, giving fans a chance to see talented first-years Nassir Little, Coby White and Rechon Black. 

The lighthearted mood will not last long, as Williams and his players turn their focus to yet another season filled with tough opponents.

@christrenkle2

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.