• The Tar Heels commence the final third of their regular-season ACC schedule this week, embarking on a two-game road stretch that kicks off Tuesday against NC State.
• The game in Raleigh is set for 7 p.m., with Kevin Brown and Cory Alexander providing commentary on ESPN.
• Following their 79-65 triumph over Pitt on Saturday, the Tar Heels boast a 20-5 overall record and an 8-4 mark in the ACC. Carolina holds the No. 25 position in the NET rankings and is 16th in the Associated Press poll.
• NC State suffered defeats last week, first at Louisville and then at home against Miami, which brought an end to their six-game winning streak (four of which were road victories). The Wolfpack’s overall record stands at 18-8, and they are half a game ahead of UNC in conference play at 9-4.
• In national rankings, the two teams are close in turnover percentage, with UNC at 12th and NCSU at 13th. UNC shoots 47.6% from the field, while the Pack records 47.8%. Carolina ranks 24th in the country for offensive efficiency and 44th defensively; NC State is 21st offensively and 47th defensively. Carolina is 25th in the NET, with NC State at 29th.
• The victory over Pitt marked Carolina’s 20th win this season, and the 66th time the Tar Heels have achieved 20 or more victories, surpassing all other ACC teams (Duke is next with 60).
• Over their 73 seasons as an ACC member, the Tar Heels have accumulated 20 or more wins on 56 occasions.
• Hubert Davis stands as the sole Carolina head coach to secure 20 or more wins in each of his initial five seasons. Notably, he was also the only coach to do so in his first four.
• The Tar Heels journey to Raleigh having secured four victories against Top-25 ranked teams this season (Kansas, at Kentucky, at Virginia, and Duke), alongside five Quad 1 wins.
• Davis has guided the Tar Heels to 18 triumphs over nationally-ranked opponents, including nine against top-10 teams (No. 4 Duke, No. 4 Baylor, and No. 9 Duke in 2022; No. 6 Virginia in 2023; and No. 10 Tennessee, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Duke in 2024, and No. 4 Duke in 2026).
• Carolina’s road record this season is 3-4, with wins coming at Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels shoot 46.6% from the field and average 80.0 points in their seven away games, though opponents are shooting 49.6% and averaging 81.4 points.
• NC State holds a 10-4 home record this season, including a 3-3 mark in ACC contests.
ALL HANDS ON DECK
• The Tar Heels secured a victory over Pitt despite the absence of Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson, who are the team’s leading scorers and rebounders (collectively, they contributed 44.2% of the Tar Heels’ points and 46.9% of the rebounds over the initial 24 games).
• Wilson sustained a broken bone in his left hand during the February 10 game in Miami. Veesaar had been ill since the team’s return from Coral Gables and was also undergoing evaluation for a lower extremity concern.
• Junior Luka Bogavac stepped in for Wilson, making his 14th start of the season and his first since January 3. Sophomore Zayden High made his career debut as a starter at center. Bogavac tallied 15 points and registered a game-high plus-minus of 17, while High achieved personal bests in minutes (32), points (15), field goals (7), and rebounds (7).
• Jarin Stevenson shifted from small forward to power forward and delivered a season-best performance with 19 points.
• Carolina’s three primary scorers—Wilson, Veesaar, and Seth Trimble—have now each missed games due to either injury or illness. The last instance of UNC’s leading scorers all being sidelined simultaneously occurred in the 2019-20 season, when Cole Anthony missed 11 games, Garrison Brooks one, and Brandon Robinson nine.
LAST TIME OUT
• Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble each contributed 19 points, Zayden High recorded a personal best of 15 points in his inaugural start, and Luka Bogavac netted 10 of his 15 points within the initial nine minutes, as a depleted UNC squad surged past Pitt with a 79-65 victory.
• The Tar Heels achieved a 53.3% shooting accuracy from the field in the first half, establishing a 46-32 advantage.
• Carolina committed a mere four turnovers throughout the game.
• The Tar Heels dished out 18 assists (seven credited to Derek Dixon and four to Bogavac) on their 28 successful field goals.
• UNC surpassed the Panthers in fastbreak points, 16-4, and also dominated points off turnovers, 12-4.
• Trimble successfully converted 9 out of 11 free throws, contributing to UNC’s impressive 14-of-17 (82.4%) performance from the charity stripe.
UNC-NC STATE
• Carolina holds a dominant 168-81 record against NC State, with their 168 victories representing the most against any single opponent.
• UNC’s road record versus NC State stands at 70-48, including an impressive 20-6 mark within the Lenovo Center.
• Factoring in two NCAA Tournament matchups in 2008 and an additional pair in 2016, Carolina boasts a 24-6 record at the Lenovo Center.
• Hubert Davis‘s coaching tenure against NC State has seen him amass a 7-2 record.
• Since the commencement of the 2003-04 season, Carolina has compiled a 40-7 record against NC State.
• Last season, the Tar Heels claimed victory in both contests, triumphing 63-61 in Raleigh and 97-73 in Chapel Hill.
• This current season marks the first time since 1919 that the teams are not slated to compete in Chapel Hill. Historical records show they played once in Raleigh in 1913 and again in 1919, also in Raleigh. Between 1920 and 2025, the teams consistently played at least once in both Chapel Hill and Raleigh.
• Seth Trimble has participated in seven prior games against NC State, reaching double-digit scoring just once (with 15 points in Raleigh last season).
• Jaydon Young contributed eight points and four assists for Virginia Tech when playing against the Pack in Blacksburg last year.
• Ven-Allen Lubin posted averages of 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Tar Heels across two games against NC State last season.
CAROLINA & THE ACC
• This marks the 73rd season of athletic competition within the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels were a foundational member of the league, which commenced play in the 1953-54 season.
• Carolina stands alone as the only institution to accumulate 50 or more combined ACC men’s basketball championships (comprising 33 regular-season titles and 18 Tournament titles). Duke follows in second place with 44 (21 regular season and 23 Tournament), while NC State is next with 18 (seven regular season and 11 Tournament).
• Hubert Davis holds a 64-28 record in regular-season ACC contests, with only one other team achieving more ACC victories over the past five seasons.
• Davis guided the Tar Heels to ACC records of 15-5, 11-9, 17-3, and 13-7 in the preceding four seasons. The 2023-24 squad secured the regular-season title, marking Carolina’s 33rd such achievement.
• The game against Syracuse on February 2 signified Carolina’s 1,100th regular-season ACC game.
• Carolina boasts a 779-324 (.706) record in regular-season ACC games, with their 779 wins being the highest in ACC history. Duke trails with 749 victories.
STEVENSON A ROCK
• Junior forward Jarin Stevenson has consistently proven to be a reliable presence on the court throughout the season, and in recent matchups, he has delivered crucial offensive firepower.
• The 6-10 junior, hailing from Chapel Hill, has shot 12-for-17 from the field, accumulating 32 points in his last two games. He went 6-for-10 from the floor for 13 points at Miami and then converted 6 of 7 shots for 19 points against Pitt.
• These marked the first instances this season where he recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring performances, and also the initial two occasions he led UNC in scoring.
• He reached double figures three times within the first 19 games, a feat he has since replicated three times in the most recent six outings.
• Stevenson has shot 10-for-20 from beyond the arc in his last seven games and is an impressive 27-for-33 (81.8%) from the free-throw line over the last 13 contests.
• He has averaged 27.0 minutes across the last four games, including a career-best 36 minutes in Saturday’s victory over Pitt.
CALEB & HENRI
• The Naismith Hall of Fame included Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson on their Midseason Top 10 lists for their respective positional accolades (Veesaar for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award and Wilson for the Karl Malone Power Forward Award).
• Wilson is currently averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, while Veesaar holds averages of 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds.
• The most recent Tar Heel duo to average 16 points and nine rebounds in a single season were Doug Moe and Lee Shaffer during the 1959-60 campaign.
• Collectively, they have achieved 24 double-doubles and have each surpassed the 20-point mark 23 times.
WILSON: MIDSEASON AWARDS CANDIDATE
• Caleb Wilson has been included on numerous midseason watch lists for prestigious awards, such as the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year, Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year, Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, the USBWA’s Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year.
• The 6-10 Atlanta native has quickly left his mark on the Tar Heel record books, being the first freshman to achieve 20 or more points in six successive games (spanning from Georgetown through Florida State). Phil Ford previously held the record with five consecutive games in 1974-75.
• Wilson’s separate five-game streak of 20-point performances concluded in the defeat at Miami. He is the sole UNC freshman to have two distinct streaks of five or more 20-point games.
• Wilson has reached 20 points or more 17 times, including a season-high 26 at Stanford. His 17 20-point games have already surpassed Tyler Hansbrough’s previous single-season rookie record for UNC. Hansbrough scored 20 or more 14 times while earning first-team All-America and first-team All-ACC honors in 2005-06.
• Wilson, Hansbrough, Rashad McCants, and Ford are the only UNC freshmen to accumulate 10 or more 20-point games.
20-Point Games by a UNC Freshman
Caleb Wilson, 2025-26 17
Tyler Hansbrough, 2005-06 14
Rashad McCants, 2002-03 12
Phil Ford, 1974-75 10
• Wilson is the leading player for the Tar Heels in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounds, steals, free throws (both made and attempted), and blocks, while ranking second in assists and field goal percentage.
• His current scoring average of 19.8 points per game is projected to establish a new UNC freshman record.
SINGLE-SEASON SCORING, UNC FRESHMAN
19.8 Caleb Wilson, 2025-26
18.9 Tyler Hansbrough, 2005-06
18.5 Cole Anthony, 2019-20
17.0 Rashad McCants, 2002-03
16.7 Joseph Forte, 1999-2000
• Hansbrough (in 2005-06) remains the sole Tar Heel freshman to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding. He also topped the team in steals as a freshman. No Tar Heel freshman has ever led the team in scoring, rebounding, blocks, and steals simultaneously.
• Joseph Forte (16.7 ppg in 1999-2000), McCants (17.0 in 2002-03), Hansbrough (18.9 in 2005-06), Harrison Barnes (co-leader at 15.7 in 2010-11), and Cole Anthony (18.5 in 2019-20) have each led UNC in scoring as freshmen.
• Hansbrough (7.8 rpg in 2005-06), Antawn Jamison (9.7 in 1995-96), and J.R. Reid (7.4 in 1986-87) have all been freshman rebounding leaders for UNC.
• Wilson’s average of 9.4 rebounds ranks as the second-highest by a UNC freshman, trailing only Jamison.
• He achieved double-digit scoring in the first 24 games and has compiled 11 double-doubles, which is the second-highest total by a Carolina freshman. Of his 11 double-doubles, he registered 12 or more rebounds in 10 of them, including a season-best 16 against Florida State.
SINGLE-SEASON REBOUNDING, UNC FRESHMAN
9.7 Antawn Jamison, 1995-96
9.4 Caleb Wilson, 2025-26
8.3 Armando Bacot, 2019-20
7.8 Tyler Hansbrough, 2005-06
7.8 Sam Perkins, 1980-81
Double-Doubles by a UNC Freshman
(all points and rebounds)
13 Antawn Jamison, 1995-96
11 Caleb Wilson, 2025-26
11 Armando Bacot, 2019-20
9 J.R. Reid, 1986-87
9 Sam Perkins, 1980-81
• Wilson ranks third in the ACC for double-doubles, fourth in scoring, and fifth in both field goal percentage and double-doubles.
• Wilson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer are the only athletes listed in the top five across scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and double-doubles.
• In Carolina’s 79-66 victory over Florida State, Wilson became only the sixth Tar Heel ever to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a single game, joining an esteemed group that includes Billy Cunningham, Mitch Kupchak, James Worthy, Forte, and Luke Maye.
• During the Seminoles game, Wilson became the third Tar Heel in history to single-handedly lead UNC in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks in a game (following Jerry Stackhouse vs. Murray State on 3/17/1995 and Mike O’Koren vs. Detroit on 12/4/1978).
• Wilson established a UNC freshman record with four consecutive double-doubles against Radford, NC Central, Navy, and St. Bonaventure. Bacot (twice), Jamison, and O’Koren were the only other Tar Heel freshmen to achieve three in a row.
• Against Navy, he made history as the first Tar Heel to ever achieve 23 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and four steals in any single game.
VEESAAR MAKING A MAJOR IMPACT
• Red-shirt junior center Henri Veesaar, who transferred from Arizona, is the team’s leader in field goal shooting (61.5%) and three-point accuracy (44.8%), and he ranks second in scoring (16.4), rebounding (9.0), and blocks (29).
• He nearly achieved a double-double in the second half during the victory over Duke. In the initial half, Duke established a 41-29 lead, with Veesaar going 0-for-2 from the field, failing to score, grabbing two rebounds, and posting a minus-20 rating. However, in the second half, he converted six of seven shots, tallied 13 points, collected nine rebounds, drained the game-tying three-pointer with 1:40 left, and finished with a plus-15 rating.
• Veesaar paces the ACC and is 11th nationally with 13 double-doubles, all of which are the first of his collegiate career. He previously appeared in 66 games over two seasons at Arizona.
• He is second in the ACC and 20th across the nation in field goal percentage. Furthermore, he ranks fifth in the ACC for rebounding and tenth in points per game.
• The Estonian native delivered the game-winning shot against Ohio State, notched a game-high 17 points in the triumph at Kentucky, and pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds in the win over Georgetown.
• He has achieved double-digit scoring in 23 of his 24 games played (with the exception of Virginia, where he recorded seven points).
• Veesaar has established numerous career high marks as a Tar Heel, including points (26 vs. ETSU and Stanford), rebounds (15 vs. Georgetown), offensive rebounds (six vs. Florida State), blocks (five vs. NC Central), assists (five vs. Ohio State), and three-pointers (four vs. ECU).
• He has reached new career highs in rebounds on four occasions – 10 against Central Arkansas, 11 against NC Central, 13 against St. Bonaventure, and 15 against Georgetown.
• He has surpassed the 20-point threshold six times – 26 vs. ETSU and Stanford, 25 vs. Wake Forest, 24 vs. the Bonnies, 20 vs. Kansas, and 20 at Georgia Tech. In his initial two seasons at Arizona, he had only one 20-point game.
• Veesaar leads UNC in plus/minus with a total of plus-285 and has topped the Tar Heels in this metric seven times. Both he and Jarin Stevenson have led seven times each.
• Veesaar has eight games where his plus/minus rating was 20 or higher.
HENRI THE FIRST
• Henri Veesaar holds the distinction of being Carolina’s first 7-footer in history to successfully convert multiple three-pointers.
• Veesaar has made 30 of 67 attempts from beyond the arc, leading the team in three-point percentage (.448).
• He ranks third on the team in total three-pointers made.
• Before the current season, only two other 7-footers had each made a single three-pointer: Serge Zwikker in the ACC semifinals against Tim Duncan’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons on March 8, 1997, and Walker Kessler against Northeastern on February 17, 2021.
• Veesaar has sunk two or more three-pointers in eight games this season, including a career-best four against ECU.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• On the offensive side, the Tar Heels rank eighth nationwide in assist/turnover ratio, 11th in total turnovers, 12th in turnover percentage, 24th in offensive efficiency, 41st in assists per game, 51st in field goal percentage, and 59th in effective field goal percentage.
• Since the start of ACC play on January 2, the Tar Heels have been 10th in the nation for offensive efficiency and 102nd for defensive efficiency.
• During the four-game period encompassing SMU, Wake Forest, Stanford, and Cal, in which Carolina posted a 1-3 record, the Tar Heels ranked sixth nationally in offensive efficiency but 284th defensively.
• Over their most recent seven games (where UNC achieved a 6-1 record), the Tar Heels stood at No. 15 nationally in offensive efficiency and 42nd in defensive efficiency.
FIELD GOAL DEFENSE
• The Tar Heels currently rank 41st in the nation for field goal percentage defense, limiting their adversaries to a collective 41.0% shooting from the field. They have successfully restricted seven opponents to below 35% and 11 to under 40%.
• This season, UNC holds an 11-0 record, and a 56-4 overall record under head coach Hubert Davis, when preventing opponents from shooting 40% or better from the floor. Conversely, they are 0-4 this season and 6-19 under Davis when opponents manage to shoot 50%.
• The Tar Heel defense is positioned seventh nationally in two-point field goal percentage defense (45.0%) and 30th in effective field goal percentage (47.2%).
THREES
• Carolina is currently hitting 8.68 three-pointers per game, a rate that would slightly surpass the program’s all-time single-season record established in 2018-19, when the Tar Heel roster featured Cameron Johnson, Coby White, Kenny Williams, and Luke Maye.
• Over their most recent six contests, Carolina has successfully converted 55 three-pointers while conceding 39.
• Five distinct Tar Heels have each sunk at least 29 three-pointers: Luka Bogavac (39), Derek Dixon (31), Henri Veesaar (30), Kyan Evans (29), and Jonathan Powell (29).
MOST THREE-POINTERS MADE PER GAME
8.68 in 2025-26 (217 in 25 games)
8.67 in 2018-19 (312 in 36 games)
8.41 in 2021-22 (328 in 39 games)
8.29 in 2002-03 (290 in 35 games)
8.25 in 1982-83 (132 in 16 games – ACC games only)
• Carolina is attempting 25.2 three-pointers per game, a figure that would shatter the previous school record of 23.9 set in 2018-19.
• The Tar Heels launched a season-high 34 three-pointers against Notre Dame and achieved a season-best 13 makes against the Irish on January 21.
MOST THREE-POINTERS ATTEMPTED PER GAME
25.16 in 2025-26 (629 in 25 games)
23.94 in 2018-19 (862 in 36 games)
23.49 in 2021-22 (916 in 39 games)
23.49 in 2002-03 (822 in 35 games)
22.95 in 2017-18 (849 in 37 games)
• The Tar Heels are converting 8.7 three-pointers per game while yielding 7.8 to opponents. UNC is on course to make more 3-pointers than its opponents for the fifth consecutive year. From the 2006-07 to 2019-20 seasons, Carolina surpassed opponents in 3FGs only once (in 2012-13).
• The defeat at Miami brought an end to a remarkable streak of 22 consecutive games where the Tar Heels emerged victorious when outshooting their opponent from beyond the arc.
TURNOVERS
• UNC is currently averaging 9.28 turnovers, which represents their lowest average ever (surpassing the previous low of 10.08 in 2023-24).
• The Tar Heels recorded just four turnovers on Saturday during their victory against Pitt. This marks the third occasion in their last six games that UNC has committed four or fewer turnovers (also four at Virginia and two at Georgia Tech).
• According to research by Jody Zeugner, this season is the first time UNC has had three games with four or fewer turnovers. The 2014-15 Tar Heels achieved this twice, but no other season since turnovers became an official statistic in 1979-80 has seen UNC record more than one such game (the Pitt game was only the ninth in history with four or fewer).
• Carolina has kept turnovers under 10 in 10 of its last 17 games.
• Including the current season, Hubert Davis‘ teams have posted the four lowest turnover per game averages and five of the six lowest in UNC history.
• On January 31, the Tar Heels committed only two turnovers in their win at Georgia Tech, matching UNC’s all-time single-game record (achieved previously against Fairfield in the 1997 NCAA first round in Winston-Salem and against Duke on February 8, 2018).
• The Tar Heels established a new school record for fewest turnovers in consecutive games with six (four at Virginia and two at Georgia Tech), and the fewest in three consecutive games with 14 (eight vs. Notre Dame, four at Virginia, and two at Georgia Tech).
• The Tar Heels generate 9.7 turnovers per game from opponents. Carolina ranks 337th nationally in forced turnovers, with this 9.7 figure equaling the fewest forced in a season by the Tar Heels (also 9.7 in 2021-22).
ASSIST/TURNOVERS
• Carolina’s assist/turnover ratio, currently at 1.81, stands as the finest in UNC’s history (surpassing the prior best of 1.65 in 2015-16).
• Every player on the squad has recorded at least as many assists as turnovers, and notably, every player logging 10 minutes or more per game has more assists than turnovers.
• The Tar Heels are poised for a historic season, potentially becoming the first team since turnovers were officially tracked in 1979-80 where every player averaging double-digit minutes registers more assists than turnovers.
• Among the eight players who average 10 minutes or more, Jonathan Powell boasts the top assist/turnover ratio (3.14). He is closely followed by Luka Bogavac (2.54), Kyan Evans (2.43), and Derek Dixon (2.31).
• Caleb Wilson has tallied 64 assists against 47 turnovers (1.36 ratio), and Henri Veesaar has 48 assists against 37 turnovers (1.30 ratio). They are the first Tar Heels since Luke Maye (in 2017-18 and 2018-19) to average 9.0 or more rebounds while also maintaining a positive assist-to-turnover differential. Maye remains the only Tar Heel to have achieved this feat previously.
ON THE BOARDS
• Carolina has been out-rebounded in its last three contests (by Duke by 12, Miami by six, and Pitt by five).
• This marks the first occasion this season that UNC has been out-rebounded in three consecutive games (and the first time since Pitt, Clemson, and Syracuse last season).
• UNC has not been out-rebounded in four successive games since the final four games of the 2012-13 season (by Maryland and Miami in the ACC Tournament, and Villanova and Kansas in the NCAA Tournament).
• The Tar Heels hold a 16-2 record this season and a 105-26 (.802) record under head coach Hubert Davis when they secure more rebounds than their adversaries. Conversely, they are 3-2 this season and 15-22 under Davis (.405) when opponents dominate the rebounding battle.
WINS VS. LOSSES
• Here are significant statistical contrasts between Carolina’s 20 victories and its five defeats:
• The Tar Heels permit 66.8 points in their wins, while allowing 85.0 points in their losses.
• Opponents are shooting 53.0% from the field, including 50.0% from three-point range, in the five losses, compared to 38.2%/30.5% in Carolina’s 20 wins.
• The Tar Heels maintain a rebounding margin of plus-5.9 in their wins, but have been out-rebounded by an average of 0.4 per game in their losses.
500+ WINS IN THE SMITH CENTER
• This marks the 41st season that the Tar Heels are competing in the Dean E. Smith Center.
• The victory against Wake Forest on January 10 represented UNC’s 500th win recorded at the Smith Center.
• Carolina’s record in regular-season and NIT games held at the Smith Center stands at 504-90.
• UNC became the ninth current ACC team to achieve 500 or more victories within their respective home arenas.
• Carolina has triumphed in 84.8% of its contests played in the Smith Center. Among ACC teams with 500+ wins in their current home venue, only one boasts a superior winning percentage.
• Carolina’s record in ACC games at the Smith Center is 263-71 (.787).
• The Tar Heels have secured 15 consecutive wins at the Smith Center, all occurring this season.
• UNC has hosted 46.5% of its home games in the Smith Center (594 out of 1,278 total).
• Carolina has faced 154 distinct opponents in regular-season or NIT games at the Smith Center.
• The Smith Center represents the fifth home court for the Tar Heels. Carolina has accumulated 504 wins in the Smith Center, 210 in Woollen Gym (1939-65), 170 in Carmichael Auditorium (1965-86, 2010), 130 in the Indoor Athletic Court (1924-38), and 63 in Bynum Gym (1911-23).
IN-SEASON AWARDS
• Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has been honored with National Player-of-the-Week accolades on three separate occasions this season. He was among five players designated National Player of the Week by the USBWA for the period of November 3-9, he received the award from Andy Katz at NCAA March Madness for his performance during the week of December 15-21, and the Naismith Trophy recognized him for his standout play against Syracuse and Duke.
• Wilson also secured the ACC Freshman of the Week title three times, following his performances in games against Central Arkansas/Kansas, ETSU/Ohio State, and Syracuse/Duke.
• He is the initial Tar Heel to earn three ACC Freshman-of-the-Week awards since Coby White achieved the distinction five times in the 2018-19 season.
• Wilson additionally shared the title of ACC Co-Player of the Week after the Central Arkansas and Kansas matchups.
• Wilson was the first Tar Heel freshman to also claim ACC Player-of-the-Week honors since Cole Anthony did so in 2019-20.
• Wilson is the eighth Tar Heel freshman to win ACC Player-of-the-Week honors, joining a list that includes Jerry Stackhouse (1994), Antawn Jamison (1996), Rashad McCants (2003), Tyler Hansbrough (2006), Brandan Wright (2007), White (2019), and Anthony.
CAROLINA-DUKE A RATINGS HIT
• The Tar Heels’ 71-68 victory over Duke on February 7 garnered the highest viewership on ESPN for a college men’s basketball game over the past four seasons.
• The contest attracted an average of 3.5 million viewers, reaching a peak of 4.8 million.
PRESEASON ALL-ACC, POLL
• At the ACC’s preseason media day in Charlotte, the Tar Heels were projected by the media to secure a third-place finish in the 18-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Caleb Wilson received votes for inclusion on the league’s preseason All-ACC second team and was also named to the All-Freshman team.
• UNC entered the Associated Press preseason poll ranked at No. 25 nationally.
• This marks the 69th distinct season in the 78-year history of the AP poll that the Tar Heels have appeared in the rankings at some point.
HUBERT DAVIS: YEAR FIVE
• The 2025-26 season marks Hubert Davis‘ fifth year as the head coach at the University of North Carolina and his 14th overall stint on the coaching staff at his alma mater. He holds the distinction of being the sole Tar Heel head coach to achieve 20 or more wins in each of his initial four seasons.
• Davis, aged 55 (set to turn 56 on May 17, 2026), has garnered National and ACC Coach-of-the-Year honors, guided the Tar Heels to a national title game appearance, amassed 120 victories, holds a 64-28 conference record with 26 road wins in ACC regular-season play, secured a regular-season ACC title, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Only one other team has accumulated more ACC wins in the last four years.
• Two of his athletes—RJ Davis and Armando Bacot—hold second and third place, respectively, in UNC’s all-time scoring records, establishing numerous milestones and earning both national and All-ACC awards.
• Carolina achieved its 100th win under Davis during the 2025 ACC Tournament, making him the third-fastest coach in UNC history and the sixth-fastest in ACC history to reach the 100-win mark. Only Duke’s Vic Bubas, UNC’s Roy Williams and Frank McGuire, Wake Forest’s Skip Prosser, and Maryland’s Lefty Driesell reached 100 victories in fewer games than Davis (who hit his 100th in 143 games).
• Under Davis’ leadership, Carolina boasts an 8-3 record in NCAA Tournament play, including victories against three national championship-winning coaches (Baylor’s Scott Drew, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo) and three additional coaches who have led teams to the Final Four (Marquette’s Shaka Smart, UCLA’s Mick Cronin, and San Diego State’s Brian Dutcher).
• Davis has steered the Tar Heels to 18 wins over nationally-ranked opponents, with nine of those triumphs coming against top-10 teams (No. 4 Duke, No. 4 Baylor, and No. 9 Duke in 2022; No. 6 Virginia in 2023; and No. 10 Tennessee, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Duke in 2024, and No. 4 Duke in 2025).
2025-26 SCHEDULE NOTES
• The Tar Heels hosted 10 home games before New Year’s Day, a first since the 2009-10 season.
• Within ACC competition, the Tar Heels are scheduled to host Florida State, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Duke, Pitt, Louisville (Feb. 23), Virginia Tech (Feb. 28), and Clemson (March 3).
• Carolina’s away games include matchups at SMU, Stanford, Cal, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State (Feb. 17), Syracuse (Feb. 21), and Duke (March 7).
• UNC does not have a game scheduled against Boston College.
• This upcoming season will be the first since 1919 that the Tar Heels will not face NC State in Chapel Hill.
• The Tar Heels played Kansas in Chapel Hill for the inaugural time ever. Last year, the Jayhawks emerged victorious over UNC in Lawrence. The November 7 game marked only the third on-campus meeting in the 14-game history between the Tar Heels and KU.
• The Tar Heels undertook their initial road trips as ACC opponents to SMU, Stanford, and Cal.
TAR HEELS IN THE NBA
• Eleven former Tar Heels were featured on NBA Opening Day rosters, including Cole Anthony (Phoenix), Harrison Barnes (San Antonio), Tony Bradley (Indiana), Harrison Ingram (San Antonio), Cameron Johnson (Denver), Walker Kessler (Utah), Caleb Love (Portland), Pete Nance (Milwaukee), rookie Drake Powell (Brooklyn), Day’Ron Sharpe (Brooklyn), and Coby White (Charlotte).
• Five Carolina alumni are currently competing in the G League: Leaky Black (Capital City), Garrison Brooks (Birmingham), RJ Davis (South Bay), Harrison Ingram (Austin), and Cormac Ryan (Wisconsin).
• A minimum of twelve Tar Heels are pursuing professional basketball careers internationally, including Armando Bacot (Turkey), Ty Claude (Serbia), Isaiah Hicks (South Korea), Brice Johnson (Dominican Republic), Christian Keeling (Finland), Nassir Little (Japan), Brady Manek (China), Luke Maye (Japan), James Michael McAdoo (Japan), Kennedy Meeks (Taiwan), J.P. Tokoto (Poland), and Jae’Lyn Withers (The Netherlands).