University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: 2015-16 Non-Conference (Part Two)
July 17, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Last week Carolina men's basketball released its 2015-16 non-conference schedule. Concluding today, GoHeels.com takes a closer look at those non-league opponents and what the Tar Heels can expect this winter. For the November portion of the schedule, check out part one here.
Maryland (UMTerps.com) - Dec. 1 (Smith Center)
Location: College Park, Md.
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 32 KenPom, No. 12 AP
2014-15 Record: 28-7, 14-4 Big Ten
2014-15 Postseason: Lost to West Virginia in NCAA round of 32
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 122-57 (UNC 75, Maryland 63, Feb. 4, 2014, Chapel Hill)
Maryland had no problems adjusting to life in the Big Ten, as Mark Turgeon's Terps won 28 games and finished two games clear of the pack in solo second behind national finalist Wisconsin. Second-leading scorer Dez Wells is gone, but Melo Tremble and Jake Layman return after both considered a jump to the NBA. Maryland will have another familiar face in Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon, who is eligible immediately after graduating this summer. Throw in highly touted incoming freshman Diamond Stone, and the 180th edition of UNC-Maryland should be the top non-conference game nationally this winter.
Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com) - Dec. 6 (Smith Center)
Location: Davidson, N.C.
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 43 KenPom, RV AP
2014-15 Record: 24-8, 14-4 A-10
2014-15 Postseason: Lost to Iowa in NCAA round of 64
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 63-11 (UNC 90, Davidson 72, Nov. 22, 2014, Charlotte)
What was supposed to be a transition year for Davidson in its first season as a member of the Atlantic-10 turned into a dream as the Wildcats surged into the AP Top 25 and won the A-10 regular season title outright. But the dream became a nightmare in the postseason. The 10th-seeded Wildcats, who owned the eighth-best offense in the nation according to KenPom.com, mustered just 0.81 points per possession in an embarassing 83-52 loss to Iowa. That figures to provide a little extra motivation to a 2015-16 team that returns a pair of all-conference guards in Jack Gibbs and Brian Sullivan. Bob McKillop, the reigning A-10 Coach of the Year, will have to replace conference player of the year Tyler Kalinoski, but should have another elite offense to work with.
Texas (TexasSports.com) - Dec. 12 (Austin, Texas)
Location: Austin, Texas
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 25 KenPom, NR AP
2014-15 Record: 20-14, 8-10 Big 12
2014-15 Postseason: Lost to Butler in NCAA round of 64
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Texas leads 6-3 (Texas 86, UNC 83, Dec. 18, 2013, Chapel Hill)
Last season's stumble to the finish spelled the end for Rick Barnes, who was replaced as head coach after 17 seasons by Shaka Smart. Point guard Isaiah Taylor figures to be 100% healthy this season after breaking his wrist early in 2014-15, and he'll need to be with Jonathan Holmes and Myles Turner now in the NBA. Texas was one of the top teams in the country at defending the 2 under Barnes, but the Longhorns ranked 350th in defensive turnover percentage. That should change immediately under Smart, whose VCU squads ranked in the top three nationally in steal percentage each of the last four seasons.
Tulane (TulaneGreenWave.com) - Dec. 16 (Smith Center)
Location: New Orleans, La.
2014-15 Final Rankings: NR KenPom, NR AP
2014-15 Record: 15-16, 6-12 AAC
2014-15 Postseason: n/a
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 13-1 (UNC 89, Tulane 71, Dec. 1, 1995, Charlotte)
Tulane struggled to a 6-12 finish in its first season in the American Athletic Conference. Head coach Ed Conroy's fifth season in New Orleans was a step back after consecutive postseason appearances in 2013 and 2014, and the forecast for 2015-16 is uncertain. Point guard Jonathan Stark opted to transfer out of the program, but the Green Wave will welcome six freshmen. Tulane also adds Washington big man Jernard Jarreau, who is eligibile right away after graduating this summer. Former Tar Heel Shammond Williams is in his third season on Conroy's staff as an assistant coach.
UCLA (UCLABruins.com) - Dec. 19 (Brooklyn)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 33 KenPom, NR AP
2014-15 Record: 22-14, 11-7 Pac-12
2014-15 Postseason: Lost to Gonzaga in NCAA round of 16
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 7-3 (UNC 78, UCLA 56, Nov. 27, 2014, Nassau, Bahamas)
One year after beating UCLA in the Battle 4 Atlantis, the Tar Heels get another look at the Bruins in a preseason neutral-site event. The second year of the CBS Sports Classic moves to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and UCLA will look to build on a surprising run to the Sweet 16. Kevon Looney opted to go pro along with departed senior Norman Powell, so expect much of the offensive load to fall on senior post Tony Parker and embattled sharpshooter Bryce Alford. Parker is an effective rebounder who makes 54 percent of his 2s while Alford, son of head coach Steve Alford, is a 39 percent shooter from the outside.
Appalachian State (AppStateSports.com) - Dec. 21 (Smith Center)
Location: Boone, N.C.
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 265 KenPom, NR AP
2014-15 Record: 12-17, 9-11 Sun Belt
2014-15 Postseason: n/a
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 5-0 (UNC 97, Appalachian State 82, Dec. 17, 2011)
Jim Fox's first season at Appalachian State was also the Mountaineers' first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. It was largely a season to forget, as the 'Neers lost five straight in February and failed to qualify for the SBC tournament. But Fox has five seniors on the roster in 2015-16, with leading scorer Frank Eaves (16.6 ppg) leading the way. He will have to replace his top rebounder, however, due to the graduation of Tommy Spagnolo, who grabbed almost 22 percent of opponent misses in 2014-15.
UNCG (UNCGSpartans.com) - Dec. 28 (Smith Center)
Location: Greensboro, N.C.
2014-15 Final Rankings: No. 275 KenPom, NR AP
2014-15 Record: 11-22, 6-12 SoCon
2014-15 Postseason: n/a
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 2-0 (UNC 79, UNCG 56, Dec. 16, 2014, Greensboro Coliseum)
After leading UNCG to a late-season surge as interim head coach in 2012, former Tar Heel Wes Miller has had a rough go of it as the head Spartan in the three seasons since. UNCG was 11-22 in 2014-15 and ranked outside of the top 250 in both offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com. Miller's roster featured just one senior contributor, however, and his top three scorers all return. Junior Tevon Saddler should lead the offense after scoring 13.4 ppg last season while junior R.J. White ranked as the SoCon's top defensive rebounder.
