By R.L. Bynum

N.C. Central (9–21 last season) at No. 11 North Carolina (29–8), 11 a.m.
TV: Streamed on ACC Network Extra here and on the ESPN app: Dean Linke play-by-play, Joel James analyst
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (WCHL FM 97.9/AM 1360; streams on the Varsity Network app); Matt Krause play-by-play
Torvik: UNC No. 13 | N.C. Central 337 of 363
Massey Ratings: UNC No. 18 | N.C. Central 341 of 363
Line: No betting lines

— The game is UNC’s annual Field Trip Day, with more than 4,600 students and teachers from 20 counties expected to attend the game. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for the game, and the tickets are free. Parking is available at the Rams Head Deck and the Raleigh Road parking lot, with ADA parking at the Cobb Deck.
— This is the first of two tune-ups, including a 7 p.m. Thursday home game against Elon, for the game in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 13, against No. 4 UCLA in the WBCA Challenge.
— Reniya Kelly, a junior guard and ACC Preseason First-Team pick, and sophomore center Blanca Thomas were held out of the Tar Heels’ 91–82 loss Thursday in Atlanta to No. 2 South Carolina. Coach Courtney Banghart didn’t specify the reasons, but made it sound like the decision not to play them was precautionary.
— In the loss to the Gamecocks, five Tar Heels scored in double figures, led by Louisville transfer Nyla Harris and senior Indya Nivar with 14 points each. Harris led UNC in rebounding with 10, while freshman Nyla Brooks pulled down seven rebounds and scored 12 points.
— All eight meetings with NCCU have been at Carmichael Arena, and the Tar Heels have won all of them, with UNC winning 119–43 last season on Nov. 29. The widest margin was 77 points (109–32) in the first meeting on Nov. 9, 2007, and the closest margin was 22 points (88–66) on March 14, 2010, in a tuneup game for the NCAA tournament.
— The 119 points last season were the most under Banghart.
— Carolina has won its last seven season openers, including all six under Banghart, and is 44–7 all-time in openers. The last loss in an opener was a 70–66 home setback on Nov. 10, 2017, against Hampton to start a 15–16 season.
— The Eagles were picked fourth in the eight-team MEAC in the preseason poll (earning one first-place vote) after going 6–8 and finishing sixth last season.
— Eagles coach Terrence Baxter begins his third season after going 25–36 in his first two seasons. He was an assistant coach at NCCU under former UNC assistant coach (2011 through 2013) Trisha Stafford-Odom, and succeeded her. Stafford-Odom will coach the Charlotte Crown in the first season of the four-team UpShot League, which begins play in May.
— N.C. Central, which has seven returnees and eight newcomers, is led by All-MEAC preseason player of the year Morgan Callahan, preseason second-team pick Shakaria Foster, and preseason third-team picks Aniya Finger and Ayshia Hinton.
— Callahan, a 6–0 graduate forward, made the MEAC All-Conference and All-Defensive teams the last two seasons as the Eagles’ second-leading scorer (12.5 points per game) and rebounder (8.3). Foster, a 5–8 sophomore guard, made the MEAC All-Rookie Team, averaging 10.2 points. Finger, a 5–11 graduate forward, led the team with 48.2% shooting from the floor. Hinton, a 5–8 junior, led the team last year in 3-point shooting percentage (32.3%).
— The Eagles play at Wake Forest on Nov. 20 and at No. 2 South Carolina on Dec. 7.

North Carolina roster

N.C. Central roster

Date	Day/month	Time	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV/ record
	October
30	Thursday	L, 91–82	No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta	Exhib.
	November
3	Monday	W, 90–42	vs. N.C. Central	1–0
6	Thursday	W, 71–37	vs. Elon	2–0
			WBCA Challenge Las Vegas
13	Thursday	L, 78–60	vs. No. 4 UCLA	2–1
15	Saturday	W, 82–68	vs. Fairfield	3–1
			———————————
20	Thursday	W, 85–50	at N.C. A&T	4–1
23	Sunday	W, 94–48	vs. UNCG	5–1
			Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico
27	Thursday	W, 83–48	vs. South Dakota St.	6–1
28	Friday	W, 85–73	vs. Kansas State	7–1
29	Saturday	W, 80–63	vs. Columbia	8–1
	December		ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
4	Thursday	W, 79–64	at No. 2 Texas	8–2
			———————————
7	Sunday	W, 82–40	vs. Boston Univ.	9–2
14	Sunday	4 p.m.	vs. No. 22 Louisville	ACCN
17	Wednesday	8 p.m.	vs. UNCW	ACCN
21	Sunday	Noon	vs. Charleston Southern	ACCN Extra
29	Monday	8 p.m.	at Boston College	ACCN
	January
1	Thursday	Noon	vs. California	ACCN
4	Sunday	Noon	vs. Stanford	ESPN or ACCN
11	Sunday	1 p.m.	at No. 19 Notre Dame	ESPN
15	Thursday	TBA	vs. Miami	ACCN Extra
18	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Florida State	The CW
22	Thursday	8 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	ACCN
25	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Syracuse	The CW
	February
2	Monday	6 p.m.	at N.C. State	ESPN2
5	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Clemson	ACCN
8	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Wake Forest	ACCN
12	Thursday	6 p.m.	vs. SMU	ACCN
15	Sunday	1 p.m.	at Duke	ABC
19	Thursday	6 p.m.	at Virginia Tech	ACCN
22	Sunday	Noon	vs. Pittsburgh	ACCN
26	Thursday	TBA	at Virginia	ACCN Extra
	March
1	Sunday	Noon	vs. Duke	ESPN
			ACC tournament
4–8	Wed.-Sun		Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga.
			NCAA tournament
20–24	Fri.-Mon.		First, second rounds
27–30	Fri.-Mon.		Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif.
	April
3, 5	Fri., Sun		Final Four Phoenix