By R.L. Bynum
Michael Malone’s first season in Chapel Hill will offer no shortage of measuring sticks before ACC play begins. From a neutral-site date with a likely top-five team to a home game against a Southern Conference bottom-dweller, the non-conference schedule includes opponents with a wide range of strength.
More opponents had losing records in their leagues (six) than made the NCAA tournament (five). Here’s a ranking of all 17 games, including exhibitions, from the toughest test to the softest.
1. No. 5 (final poll last season) Illinois (2025–26: 28–9, 15–5 Big Ten; NCAA tournament: Final Four, lost to UConn 71–62 in a national semifinal)
Jan. 30 | Nashville Hoops Showdown
The Tar Heels’ last tune-up before the stretch run of ACC play doubles as their stiffest test outside of the ACC, and it isn’t particularly close. Illinois enters the season fresh off a Final Four run, and facing that caliber of opponent in late January, with conference play well underway, will tell Malone more about his roster’s readiness before the first Duke game.
2. Kentucky (2025–26: 22–14, 10–8 SEC; NCAA tournament: Second round, lost to No. 2-seed Iowa State 82–63)
Dec. 19 | CBS Sports Classic | New York
A trip to Madison Square Garden to face a blue blood on national television is the kind of game that can define a non-conference schedule. Kentucky is never short on talent, and with the CBS Sports Classic carrying its usual mid-December spotlight, this is a high-profile matchup.
3. No. 13 (final poll last season) Arkansas (2025–26: 28–9, 13–5 SEC; NCAA tournament: Sweet 16, lost to No. 1-seed Arizona 109–88; won SEC Tournament)
Dec. 1 | ACC/SEC Challenge | home
John Calipari’s Razorbacks will likely be ranked again when they arrive in Chapel Hill, and the ACC/SEC Challenge has a way of producing tightly contested games regardless of the records involved. Coming just a week after the West Virginia matchup, this is the first of a brutal three-game stretch that will test Carolina’s depth in December.
4. West Virginia (2025–26: 21–14, 9–9 Big 12; did not make the NCAA tournament; won the College Basketball Crown, beating Oklahoma 89–82 in overtime)
Nov. 27 | Dick Vitale Invitational | Charlotte
Coach Ross Hodge’s Mountaineers closed the season on a title run in a tournament for teams left out of the NCAA tournament field, and a Black Friday matchup at a neutral site carries early-season stakes for a team that has already proven it can win in high-pressure settings. This is the toughest test Carolina will face before December starts, with the Tar Heels seeking the program’s first win over WVU after losing the first five meetings.
5. N.C. State (2025–26: 20–14, 10–8 ACC; NCAA tournament: First Four, lost to Texas 66–68 as a No. 11 seed)
Dec. 15 | Tobacco Road Classic | Greensboro
Rivalry games are always a little harder to project by record alone, and the debut of the Tobacco Road Classic brings back some of the old Big Four Tournament atmosphere. Regardless of where either team stands, an N.C. State game in Greensboro will be emotionally charged. It’s one of at least two chances for former Wolfpack guard Matt Able (top photo) to face his former team.
6. Georgetown (2025–26: 16–18, 6–14 Big East; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost to UConn in the Big East Tournament semifinals after upset wins over DePaul and Villanova)
Dec. 12 | at Georgetown
This is Carolina’s only true road non-conference game, and that pushes it up the list. The Big East has been a proving ground for physical, well-coached teams in recent years, and playing on someone else’s floor in mid-December is never an easy assignment.
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7. Georgia (2025–26: 22–11, 10–8 SEC; NCAA tournament: First round, lost to Saint Louis 102–77 as a No. 8 seed)
Nov. 13 | home
An SEC opponent coming to the Smith Center carries more weight than most home non-conference dates on this schedule. This game is early enough in the season that Malone’s rotation will still be finding its footing.
8. Indiana (2025–26: 18–14, 9–11 Big Ten; missed the NCAA tournament for a third straight year and declined all postseason invitations)
Oct. 18 exhibition | Indianapolis
Exhibitions don’t count in the record book, but this one matters more than most. Playing a Big Ten program on its home turf, even in preseason form, will give Malone his first real look at how his transfer-heavy roster handles unfamiliar personnel and a hostile gym. It may seem like a similar dynamic to last season’s exhibition against BYU in Salt Lake City, but the intensity of the fans and size of the crowd will undoubtedly be higher.
9. USC (2025–26: 18–14, 7–13 Big Ten; did not make the NCAA tournament)
Oct. 9 exhibition | Greensboro
The season-opening exhibition against Southern Cal is Carolina’s first look at a high-major opponent, and USC’s roster, built around returning scorers and a strong transfer class. It should be a challenging preseason tune-up in Malone’s first time coaching the Tar Heels.
10. Butler (2025–26: 16–16, 7–13 Big East; did not make the NCAA tournament)
Dec. 6 | home
Butler has been a steady, well-coached Big East program for years, and even in a building year, the Bulldogs tend to play a style that causes matchup problems. This one falls in the middle of the pack largely because it comes at home, sandwiched between two much bigger tests.
11. Wyoming (2025–26: 18–15, 9–11 Mountain West; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost in the first round of the NIT)
Nov. 10 | home
The Mountain West has produced its share of NCAA tournament teams in recent seasons, and Wyoming is capable of hanging around against high-major competition on a neutral or home floor. That’s less likely to happen in the Smith Center. It’s a step down from the Big Ten and SEC opponents above it, but not one to overlook entirely.
12. Marshall (2025–26: 19–13, 11–7 Sun Belt; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals)
Nov. 20 | home
Marshall has built a reputation as one of the more competitive teams in the Sun Belt, and this game comes during the six-home-games-in-three-weeks stretch that will help Malone settle his rotation before the heavier December schedule begins.
13. Monmouth (2025–26: 19–15, 11–7 CAA; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost the CAA Tournament championship game to Hofstra 69–75)
Nov. 23 | home
Coached by former UNC guard King Rice, Monmouth won’t lack for motivation or familiarity with the program it’s facing. The Hawks play in the CAA, a step below several of the mid-majors, but Rice’s teams have a track record of playing hard regardless of the score.
14. Charlotte (2025–26: 17–17, 9–9 American; did not make the NCAA tournament)
Oct. 27 exhibition | home
The lone home exhibition of the fall gives Carolina some familiar faces and a look at an American Conference opponent before the games start counting. Former UNC star and assistant coach Marcus Paige is on the staff of first-year head coach Wes Miller, another former Tar Heels player. Charlotte has had flashes of competitiveness in recent years, but this looks like a lopsided matchup. It’s still an upgrade from past years when exhibition home games were against Division II programs.
15. Wofford (2025–26: 19–13, 11–7 SoCon; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost in the SoCon Tournament quarterfinals to Samford 59–57)
Nov. 6 | home
The Southern Conference has never been mistaken for a power league, and Wofford enters as one of the softer opponents on this schedule. It’s a home date designed to let Malone’s new pieces build chemistry with the games starting to count.
16. Western Carolina (2025–26: 15–16, 10–8 SoCon; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost in the SoCon Tournament semifinals)
Nov. 2 | home
The season opener rarely doubles as a measuring stick, and Western Carolina, another Southern Conference program, is here to let Carolina work out its early-season kinks rather than test its ceiling.
17. The Citadel (2025–26: 11–22, 7–11 SoCon; did not make the NCAA tournament; lost in the SoCon Tournament quarterfinals to East Tennessee State)
Dec. 21 | home
The service academy sits at the bottom of the Southern Conference and, by extension, the bottom of this list. Sandwiched between the Kentucky game and the bulk of the ACC schedule, this game is as much about maintaining rhythm during a break in the schedule as it is about the final score.
UNC schedule
| Date | Time | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro | ACCN |
| 18 | 5 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | B1G+ * |
| 27 | 7:30 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | ACCN Extra |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 24 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alex Samodurov (SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Former players at other schools
| Player | Class | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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