College basketball is back in Chapel Hill, and North Carolina’s 2026-27 season opens Monday night with a 7 p.m. tip against Western Carolina.
The Tar Heels begin the Michael Malone era after a preseason that offered a little of everything. UNC opened with a convincing 88-70 win over USC on October 9 in Greensboro, then dropped an 18-point game at Indiana before surviving Charlotte in overtime on October 27.
Western Carolina comes in with a cleaner preseason record, having won both of its exhibitions. The Catamounts beat App State by seven and then rolled USC Upstate by 30. They play in the Southern Conference alongside teams such as Wofford and UNC-Greensboro and are chasing their first winning season in three years.
Malone’s offseason work reshaped the roster almost completely. He brought in three experienced Power Four transfers in Terrence Brown, Matt Able and Neo Avdalas, and all three are expected to start Monday night.
Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis and Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson remained in the program, while Sayon Keita anchors a frontcourt that is deep but still unproven. North Carolina’s three-man recruiting class is led by Maximo Adams, with Malloy Smith and former LSU commit Kevin Thomas also in the mix.
Western Carolina enters Year Three under Tim Craft with bigger goals in mind, including a SoCon tournament title and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996. That won’t be easy after the Catamounts lost their top three scorers from last season.
For fans looking to tune in, here’s the broadcast info for Monday night’s game:
TV Channel: ACC Network
Time: 7 p.m.
ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 258)
Website: WatchESPN
The matchup is also available to stream.
As for the game itself, the Tar Heels are expected to have the upper hand at home. The source projects a North Carolina win in blowout fashion, noting that UNC has a major talent edge and more depth than it had a year ago. The prediction: UNC 78, WCU 62.
BetMGM lists UNC as a 22.5-point favorite, with the total set at 155.5 and the moneyline at UNC (-10000).
North Carolina’s full 2026-27 schedule includes nonconference games against Wofford, Wyoming, Georgia, Marshall, Monmouth, West Virginia, Arkansas, Butler, Georgetown, NC State, Kentucky, The Citadel and Cal, along with ACC matchups against Boston College, Louisville, NC State, Florida State, Stanford, Virginia, Syracuse, SMU, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Duke, Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia Tech.
In Other News...
UNC Just Landed An In-State QB Fans Will Be Watching Closely
North Carolina got an early jump on its 2028 class with the commitment of four-star quarterback Levi Kerr, a highly regarded in-state prospect from Marvin Ridge High School. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal-caller becomes the first player to join the Tar Heels next wave of recruits, giving the program an early foundation at the most important position on the field.
Kerr had drawn interest from multiple major programs, but UNC made a strong enough impression during two visits to land his pledge. For a staff trying to build momentum on the trail, securing one of the top quarterbacks in his class this early is a notable start, even if the bigger question now is how the Tar Heels keep building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Belichick Just Highlighted UNCs Toughest Roster-Building Problem
Bill Belichick used a recent press conference to put a spotlight on one of the biggest challenges facing North Carolina as it tries to build and manage a roster in the new era of college football. The Carolina coach drew a clear contrast between the NFLs contract structure and college footballs revenue-sharing setup, pointing to the difference in how each system is organized and explained.
Belichick said college football still lacks the kind of transparency that comes with the NFLs collective bargaining agreement, and he framed the current setup as something still taking shape. He also noted that pending legislation could bring more changes to the sport, a reminder that roster-building now comes with as much uncertainty off the field as it does on it. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Offense Showed Up Against No. 1 But One Problem Loomed
For a team that needed its offense to answer a heavyweight, North Carolina got exactly that in a 38-35 loss to No. 1 Miami. Jelani Thurman and Billy Edwards, Jr. helped keep the Tar Heels in striking distance, and Bobby Petrinos offensive plan gave UNC enough rhythm and punch to make the game feel winnable deep into the night.
The problem was on the other side of the ball, where Miami kept finding the answers when it mattered most. The Hurricanes turned key third- and fourth-down chances into the kind of drives that separate a close game from a comeback, leaving North Carolina with more proof that its offense can travel against elite competition, but also a reminder that the defense still has to hold up its end. [Read more 🡒]