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UNC basketball released their full non-conference schedule yesterday, and it’s clear Michael Malone’s first Carolina squad will be tested before he even gets into ACC play. The schedule features several big names, a couple good rivalry games, and ample opportunities to catch the Heels in person without having to leave the state of North Carolina. Let’s dive deeper the Heels’ schedule.
Preseason
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The Heels will open up with three preseason matchups. Malone seems to have decided that since these won’t count against the UNC’s record, he will test his team early. UNC will play two Big Ten opponents in October before finishing with an easier matchup with UNC Charlotte. All three games are in different locations: they start with Southern Cal in Greensboro, travel to Indiana to play the Hoosiers in Indianapolis before closing the preseason out at home against the 49ers. I like that fact that Malone is challenging his team early even though the games don’t count.
Marquee Matchups
Arkansas (December 1st): Any game against John Calipari is usually a big game. Calapari has revived the Razorbacks, taking them to the Sweet Sixteen each of his first two seasons. Arkansas lost several high impact players to the portal, but brings in the number one freshman class in the country. I’d say catching the Hogs early might be a good thing before the team has a chance to gel, but UNC will also have a lot of new pieces. As an added extra bit of drama, this will be UNC’s game in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
N.C. State (December 15th): A non-conference game against a conference rival is yet another oddity that comes from conference realignment. Al Hood does a good job of breaking down the particulars of why this game is happening here. That being said, a non-conference game against a major in-state rival in a neutral setting (the game will be in Greensboro) should definitely be an interesting matchup for the Heels. The Wolfpack are also breaking in a new coach after Will Wade bolted to LSU after…
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Publish date : 2026-08-21 19:00:00
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