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North Carolina and Tennessee are two of the best college basketball programs in the nation, but last week didn't treat them well. A couple of losses to other prestigious programs caused both schools to fall in the newest AP Poll, which makes their next matchup all the more important. Tennessee will face North Carolina on the road this week, and this article will explain everything that you need to know about the matchup.
When and where is Tennessee vs. North Carolina?
Tennessee basketball will have to travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to take on the Tar Heels at the Dean E. Smith Center. Tip-off is at 7:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
How to watch the college basketball game?
ESPN will be broadcasting the game, and you can stream it live with fuboTV.
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 29 | Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Tennessee storylines
The Maui Invitational wasn't pleasant to Tennessee's record. After collecting a win against Syracuse, the Volunteers lost back-to-back games against Purdue and Kansas. Purdue went on to win the tournament, and Tennessee finished in fourth place. Drawing Purdue and Kansas wasn't the luckiest thing in the world. At the time, those were the top two teams in the nation. The losses did cause the Volunteers to drop from seventh to 10th in the AP Poll, though.
Tennessee's stretch against ranked opponents won't stop in Hawaii, though. North Carolina is ranked 17th. While this won't be an easy game, it will be a chance for the Volunteers to prove they truly are one of the elite teams in college basketball.
Before losing to Purdue and Kansas, Tennessee was undefeated. They have a deep and experienced roster. All seven of their main rotation players are upperclassmen. Dalton Knecht has proven to be the best so far. The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points per game.
Jordan Gainey is the only other Volunteer averaging double-digit figures in the scoring column, but players including Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi, and Jonas Aidoo know their roles and play them well. Still, the team could use a third player to emerge as another scoring threat. Tennessee is competitive because of their defense, but they are mediocre offensively.
North Carolina storylines
Like Tennessee, North Carolina started off 4-0 before suffering their first loss. The Tar Heels lost an overtime thriller, 83-81, to Villanova. North Carolina bounced back in their last game, though, beating a ranked Arkansas team 87-72.
Armando Bacot came into the year as a Player of the Year candidate. By averaging 15.8 points and 11.7 rebounds, those dreams are still alive. The center is one of the best players in the nation, but he also hasn't progressed as much as many thought he would coming into his fifth season. Bacot averaged more points in each of his last two years, and he rebounded better as a junior as well. The center has seemingly hit a developmental wall, but he is still talented enough that he should lead the Tar Heels to one of the best records in basketball all season.
Bacot isn't the team's top scorer. That honor belongs to R.J. Davis, a fellow senior. The guard is averaging 18.2 points per game. Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan are both averaging double figures as well. Ingram is in his third season, and Ryan has been in college for six years. Like Tennessee, North Carolina is an older team with tons of experience.
In an era with so many stars going one-and-done, it is refreshing to see two powerhouse teams relying almost exclusively on older players. It will also make for a fun and surely competitive game on Wednesday. There is no such thing as a must-win game this early into the season, but another loss for either team would surely hurt because of their losses last week.
