The last match up between these two historical powerhouses resulted in the Wildcats getting a berth to the Final Four and the Tar Heels watching their chance slip through their fingers. Here we are, five months later and the game scheduled for December 3rd is looming large.
John Calipari's squad will be bringing in four, highly talented and touted freshmen, but that doesn't change the fact they lost 3 key members, Brandon Knight, Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins, to the NBA draft. History is siding with North Carolina with the Tar Heels walking away victorious 22 times in 34 meetings. Aside from returning their entire starting lineup, Carolina's bench will feature the fresh and talented faces of James Michael McAdoo and PJ Hairston .
This is not the same team that Kentucky faced and sent home in New Jersey on March 27, 2011. I have a feeling that this game is going to be one of the best of the season. Mark your calendar.
4. 9 Consecutive Home Games
This is worth noting simply because it's a first. Nine home games in a row is unprecedented with the previous record of eight happening over seven decades ago in 1938. And the undefeated 1957 National Champions played eight games total in the intimate confines of Woollen Gymnasium.
The Tar Heels will host a total of 18 home games this upcoming season with the nine kicking off against Evansville on December 6 and wrapping up with Miami on January 10 before hitting the road for back-to-back conference games.
3. Big 3
"...I thought all three of those big guys (Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes and John Henson) would go pro last year and they all stayed. I've got problems. It's a long way to jump off that ship." Michigan State Head Coach, Tom Izzo when discussing the Carrier Classic.Barnes, Henson and Zeller combined for 1,594 points last season and confirmation of their return, skyrocketed the Tar Heels to the top of the pre-season favorites. Now, after a summer of pickup games and the bitter taste of defeat, these three return in hopes of leading their team to New Orleans for a chance to tend to some unfinished business...
...a shot at a National title.
2. Duke
Tobacco Road seems a lot shorter and more treacherous at least twice a year. No matter the season, record or predictions, this game is not only one to watch if you deck yourself out in light blue or royal blue; it's one to watch if you can't get enough of historic and storied rivalries.
And if that alone isn't enough consider this...
- Two of the last three National Championships were won by these powerhouses
- Combined rosters feature a total of 12 McDonald's All-American's
- The past two number one recruits in the Nation in Harrison Barnes (UNC) and Austin Rivers (Duke) call these programs home.
This is never just another game and this is not just another rivalry.
This is Carolina-Duke.
1. Michigan State
This game is never one to overlook and this season’s match up taking place on November 11th in San Diego, is no different. The Spartans have something no other team can say they have; Tom Izzo. I have a great deal of respect for this coach and in my opinion, he’s one of the all time best. But that fact pales in comparison of why this game has been the talk of college basketball since the beginning of last season. For the first time in history a college basketball game will take place on the deck of a docked, active aircraft carrier.
Want to take a moment and read that again?
The game is taking place appropriately on Veterans Day and no outside ticket sales will take place. A basketball court seating approximately 7,000 fans will be constructed on the flight deck and in the case of rain, the game will take place below the deck.
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These five things are purely my opinion and I have no doubt that there are a multitude of others out there. The point is, despite the many things that can be drawn from the recent release of the University of North Carolina Men's basketball schedule, these are the five that resonate in my mind as key reasons to keep an eye on the Tar Heels this upcoming season.
