By R.L. Bynum
On the first official day of practice Monday, the ACC announced North Carolina’s basketball teams will open league play in December at home against Georgia Tech.
Coach Hubert Davis’ men’s team faces the Jackets in its conference opener on Dec. 7, while Coach Courtney Banghart’s women’s team takes on Georgia Tech on Dec. 15, with both games at 2 p.m. on ACC Network. The league will unveil the full conference schedule Tuesday on the ACC Network’s “Nothing But Net,” with the women’s schedule show from 7 to 8 p.m. and the men’s schedule show from 8 to 9 p.m.
ESPN announced Monday the times and TV designations for the second ACC/SEC Challenge. The men’s game between UNC and Alabama at the Smith Center will start at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and air on ESPN. The women’s contest between Carolina and Kentucky in Carmichael Arena will tipoff at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, and air on ESPN2.
The UNC men’s team, which went 29–8 last season and won the ACC regular-season title, will have played plenty of tough competition before ACC play.
The Tar Heels play at Kansas on Nov. 4, in the Maui Invitational (Nov. 25 through 27) with a possible matchup with two-time reigning national champion UConn in addition to the Alabama game.
Carolina’s women, who went 20–13 last season and made the NCAA tournament, have tough games before league play as well. They meet UConn in Greensboro on Nov. 15 in addition to the Kentucky game.
Men’s schedule revealed so far
Oct. 13 — Blue-White scrimmage at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center in Cherokee, noon
Oct. 15 — Charity exhibition game at Memphis (No. 90 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 75), 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Oct. 27 — Exhibition game vs. Johnson C. Smith, 2 p.m.
Nov. 4 — vs. Elon (No. 309 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 310)
Nov. 8 — at Kansas (No. 21 preseason Bart Torvik; final AP rank No. 20; final NET ranking No. 19)
Nov. 15 — vs. American (No. 301 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 287)
Nov. 22 — at Hawaii (No. 175 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 172)
Maui Invitational:
Monday, Nov. 25 vs. Dayton (No. 47 preseason Bart Torvik; final AP rank No. 24; final NET ranking No. 23), 11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Tuesday, Nov. 26 vs. Auburn (No. 4; No. 18; No. 5) or Iowa State (11 p.m. ET with a win over Dayton, 8:30 p.m. ET with a loss)
Wednesday, Nov. 27 vs. UConn (No. 1; No. 1; No. 2), Memphis (No. 90, unranked; No. 75), Michigan State (No. 18, unranked; No. 24) or Colorado (No. 23; unranked; No. 25)
Dec. 4 — vs. Alabama (No. 14 preseason Bart Torvik; No. 3 final AP rank, No. 9 final NET ranking) in ACC/SEC Challenge, 7:15 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 7 — vs. Georgia Tech (No. 121 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 127), 2 p.m., ACC Network
Dec. 14 — vs. La Salle (No. 174 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 195)
Dec. 17 — vs. Florida (No. 22 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 29) in Jumpman Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, 7 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 21 — vs. UCLA (No. 88 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 107) in CBS Sports Classic, at Madison Square Garden, 3 p.m.
Dec. 29 — vs. Campbell (No. 305 preseason Bart Torvik; final NET ranking No. 304)
— Games home and away against Duke, N.C. State and Pittsburgh
— Home games vs. Boston College, California, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
— Road games vs. Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Note: 2024 NCAA tournament teams are in bold.
Women’s schedule revealed so far
Monday, Nov. 4 — vs. Charleston Southern, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7 — vs. UNCW
Tuesday, Nov. 12 — at N.C. A&T
Friday, Nov. 15 — vs. UConn at Greensboro Coliseum
Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas —
Nov. 23, first round vs. Ball State, FloHoops
Nov. 24 vs. Texas A&M or Villanova, 1:30 (with first-round win) or 6:30, FloHoops
Nov. 25 vs. Baylor, Southern Mississippi, Indiana or Columbia, noon, ESPN (if championship game); 2:30 p.m. ESPNU (if consolation game), 5 p.m., FloHoops (if fifth-place game) or 7:30, FloHoops (if seventh-place game)
Friday, Nov. 29 — vs. N.C. Central
Thursday, Dec. 5 — vs. Kentucky in ACC/SEC Challenge, 5 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 8 — vs. Coppin State
Wednesday, Dec. 11 — vs. UNCG, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15 — vs. Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACC Network
Wednesday, Dec. 18 — vs. Florida in Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Saturday, Dec. 21 — vs. Norfolk State
Playing Duke home and away
ACC home opponents: Florida State, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Boston College
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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