LAWRENCE, Kan. (WNCN) — It could be the most highly-anticipated non-conference regular season matchup this year — a top 10 showdown between two of the most successful programs in men’s college basketball in a storied arena — and the Tar Heels are looking for a little redemption.
No. 9 North Carolina (1-0) faces No. 1 Kansas (1-0) at Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night. Tip off in Lawrence is set for 7 p.m.
The Tar Heels and the Jayhawks both have storied histories that have intertwined at several points throughout the decades. Between the two programs, they’ve combined for 10 national championships, 37 Final Four appearances and 246 NCAA Tournament wins in 104 total appearances.
The last four times the teams have met have been in the postseason. UNC lost the last meeting — the championship game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament — in heartbreaking fashion to Kansas at the Superdome in New Orleans. RJ Davis, the only remaining player from that Tar Heels squad, had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists in the 72-69 loss.
Carolina’s next game is next Friday at home against American. They then head to Honolulu for a game against Hawai’i and then play in the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving week.