Lucas: Non-Conference Schedule Reactions

by Adam Lucas

1.     This is the new world of college basketball. Carolina's 2017-18 nonconference schedule is stocked with big-name opponents—almost all of which are part of a variety of made-for-television events at neutral sites. The headliner is the PK80 tournament in Portland the week of Thanksgiving, where the Tar Heels could face a variety of formidable opposition over the course of four days (in three games). Michigan State, in all likelihood, would be the highest-ranked potential opponent.

2.     That tournament then sets up a difficult cross-country overnight flight home and a game against Michigan a couple of days later in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. It's hard to believe the Tar Heels and Wolverines haven't met since the 1993 national championship game, so this particular matchup is long overdue. Michigan was ranked in the top 25 in SI's very early 2018 rankings and has some frontcourt experience—which is an area where Carolina will be trying to put the pieces together in November.

3.     Roy Williams continues to do what very few other top college basketball coaches are doing: schedule road games at challenging opponents. The Tar Heels will play Davidson in Charlotte in Spectrum Arena, which is also an NCAA Tournament host site in 2018. Then, they go to Tennessee right after exams in what might be a quietly tough game—Carolina is traditionally inconsistent after exams and the Volunteers took the Tar Heels to the wire in Chapel Hill last season. Williams will also take his team to Maples Pavilion at Stanford (now coached by former Williams assistant Jerod Haase) on the west coast swing in November. It will be just Carolina's second visit to Maples in history.

4.     Note the complete lack of nonconference games after Dec. 23. It's time to start getting used to Atlantic Coast Conference games in December, and there are more on the way as the league schedule expands to 20 games for the 2019-20 season.

5.     The rotation of the CBS Sports Classic means Carolina will face Ohio State this year, where they'll see a familiar face—new Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann, who coached Butler against Carolina in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State won't be on many preseason lists, but Holtmann will likely have them playing well by late December. Remember that the nonconference series with Kentucky is on hiatus during the CBS event.

6.     Northern Iowa is not your typical season opening cakewalk. The Panthers are well-coached and too proud a program to repeat last year's 14-16 finish.

University of North Carolina Athletics

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