Know Your Opponent: PK80

Carolina opens play in the prestigious PK80 Invitational on Thanksgiving, and the Victory bracket figures to be one of the most competitive and entertaining holiday tournaments of the 2017-18 season. Late November tournaments have often been good indicators of future success for the Tar Heels - last year's Maui title marked the third time Carolina had triumphed in Lahaina before winning a national title. Here's a quick look at what's in store for UNC this week in Portland.

Portland (PortlandPilots.com)
Location: Portland, Ore.
Rankings: No. 302 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 2-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): First meeting

One of two hometown schools in the PK80 (Portland State is in the Motion bracket), Portland enters the event following back-to-back blowout wins over NAIA competition. The Pilots dropped their only D-I game to date, an 80-75 loss to PSU in the season opener. Second-year head coach Terry Porter brings a wealth of NBA experience to the bench, but his roster is one of the nation's youngest. Porter's son Franklin is a talented wing, while British sophomore Josh McSwiggan leads the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game. At 302 in the latest KenPom rankings, Portland is the first sub-300 opponent for Carolina in nearly five years.

Arkansas (ArkansasRazorbacks.com)
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Rankings: No. 38 KenPom, RV AP
Record: 3-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 6-3 (Carolina 72, Arkansas 65, March 19, 2017, Greenville, S.C.)

Arkansas lost three starters from last year's squad that pushed Carolina to the brink in the NCAA second round, but the Hogs are off to a flying start to 2017-18. Led by a trio of senior guards in Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon and Anton Beard, Mike Anderson's team is 3-0 with a pair of top-100 wins over Bucknell and Fresno State. Though he has yet to crack the starting lineup, 6-11 freshman Daniel Gafford (75 percent on 2s through three games) is a potential breakout candidate inside.

Oklahoma (SoonerSports.com)
Location: Norman, Okla.
Rankings: No. 23 KenPom, RV AP
Record: 2-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 3-0 (Carolina 72, Oklahoma 60, March 29, 2009, FedEx Forum)

Oklahoma's start to the 2017-18 campaign makes Arkansas' look downright pedestrian. The Sooners dropped 108 on both Omaha and Ball State in blowout home wins, mostly thanks to being really good at putting the ball in the basket. With freshman point guard Trae Young (18.5 ppg, 11.5 apg) leading the charge, OU ranks second nationally in effective FG%. Lon Kruger's squad is also more than happy to run with the Razorbacks (and the Tar Heels, potentially) - the Sooners are averaging just 13.1 seconds per offensive possession according to KenPom.

Connecticut (UConnHuskies.com)
Location: Storrs, Conn.
Rankings: No. 65 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 3-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 5-1 (Carolina 77, UConn 70, Feb 13, 2005, Hartford Civic Center)

UConn took care of business in home wins over Colgate, Stony Brook and BU, but now the competition ramps up for the Huskies. Kevin Ollie's team slumped to a 16-17 finish last season, a campaign that was doomed early thanks to a 5-9 start, so the PK80 presents a big opportunity for wins over NCAA-caliber competition. Junior Terry Larrier leads UConn in scoring and has made 6 of 10 3s for a team that has otherwise struggled from deep, while fellow junior Jaylen Adams has the tools to be one of the nation's best scoring point guards.

Oregon (GoDucks.com)
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Rankings: No. 31 KenPom, RV AP
Record: 4-0
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 4-0 (Carolina 77, Oregon 76, April 1, 2017, University of Phoenix Stadium)

While Portland is the hometown team in the Victory bracket, Oregon figures to be the fan favorite this week in the Rose City. The Ducks have pummeled four overmatched opponents to start the season thanks to a balanced attack that features six players scoring in double figures. Only sophomore point guard Payton Pritchard returns from last year's Final Four team, so it should take the Ducks some time to find their identity in the post-Brooks/Bell era. One potentially worrying trend: Oregon, which ranked 12th nationally in defensive free throw rate last year, is just 179th in the category so far in 2017-18.

Michigan State (MSUSpartans.com)
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Rankings: No. 13 KenPom, No. 4 AP
Record: 2-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 12-3 (Carolina 79, Michigan State 65, Dec. 4, 2014, Breslin Center)

The preseason No. 2 team in the country lost the season's first blockbuster matchup to No. 1 Duke last week in Chicago, but the Spartans figure to have a say in who cuts down the nets in San Antonio next April. Led by preseason national player of the year Miles Bridges, MSU is back among the elite in college basketball after an uncharacteristic dip in form last year. Bridges is dangerous from all over the floor and seems to be committed to playing farther away from the basket as a sophomore. Freshman big man Jaren Jackson has shown the potential to be an elite rebounder in the early days of his MSU career.

DePaul (DePaulBlueDemons.com)
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Rankings: No. 124 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 1-2
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 4-1 (Carolina 83, DePaul 72, March 18, 2003, Smith Center)

DePaul was a late addition to the PK80 field after Georgetown pulled out, and the Blue Demons enter the tournament with a 1-2 record after losses to local rivals Notre Dame and Illinois. It's been 11 years since DePaul finished with a winning record and 14 since its last NCAA tournament appearance, but a new downtown Chicago arena has given the program a needed shot in the arm. D-II transfer Max Strus is the team's leading scorer after an All-American stint at Lewis University. Assistant director of basketball ops Matt Fleming is a Carolina alumnus who worked with the UNC women's team as an undergrad.

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