University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Schedule Rapid Reactions
May 24, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
By Adam Lucas
1. A tough nonconference game early in the season is perfect for the 2016-17 Tar Heels. Roy Williams will have an experienced group that has played in plenty of road games before. They won't be intimidated by Assembly Hall and they'll get the chance to face an ACC-like environment a full month before conference play begins.
Plus, as a side benefit, it increases the chances the Tar Heels will be closer to home during the 2017-18 campaign--with a team that's likely to have significantly less experience.
2. We'll know much more about the star power of the Carolina-Indiana game when the Hoosiers receive the decisions of Troy Williams and James Blackmon. That duo has to determine by tomorrow whether they're staying in the NBA Draft or returning to school for another year. Even if they both leave, however, Tom Crean has already added some junior college insurance to his roster.
3. Playing Indiana is a good matchup of two powerful and historic programs. It's a pairing that makes sense for this coming season. Still, how is it possible that the ACC/Big Ten Challenge has been happening since 1999--it's as old as some of the players competing in it this year--and the Tar Heels have never faced Michigan in the event? The Tar Heels and Wolverines last met on the hardwood in 1993 in a fairly important game and have met only five times in the history of the programs, with four of the five coming in the NCAA Tournament.
4. So now that we can officially add Indiana to the list, Carolina's 2016-17 schedule is looking formidable. The Tar Heels will play in the Maui Inviational, which features possible top-five team Oregon (still waiting on guard Tyler Dorsey's NBA decision), Tennessee (unlikely to be matched up against the Tar Heels because of an existing series contract), Connecticut, Georgetown and Wisconsin (still waiting on the NBA choice of Nigel Hayes, but with him could be a preseason top-10 team).
5. Already set is a December date with Kentucky in Las Vegas. The Wildcats are widely expected to be a top-three team next season. The two squads took a one-year hiatus from their regular series this past season; the Wildcats have won three of the last four meetings.
6. News about other games is starting to be released. King Rice's Monmouth team will visit the Smith Center this season. Last year, the full nonconference schedule was released on July 8, with the ACC schedule released on September 2.
7. As a reminder, this year's ACC opponents are as follows:
Home only: Florida State, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse and Notre Dame
Road only: Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest and Boston College
Home and road: Duke, NC State, Virginia, Pitt
