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A new season awaits the North Carolina Tar Heels just months after getting booted out of the Sweet 16 by the Alabama Crimson Tide, despite having one of the most talented lineups in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. With Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram leaving after the 2023-24 season, returning guard RJ Davis looks to lead the team to another NCAA Tournament bid, with hopes of reaching the national final.
Here's a deeper dive into the program's 2024-25 college basketball season, featuring its biggest games and key players to watch out for:
North Carolina's biggest games in the 2024-25 season
The Tar Heels will have a loaded schedule this season, starting with a Nov. 8 duel with perennial rival the Kansas Jayhawks at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. It will be the first time the Tar Heels will visit the Jayhawks' home since 1960.
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Another non-conference matchup to mark on the calendar is North Carolina's rematch against Alabama on Dec. 4 as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. This will be the third consecutive season the Tar Heels play the Crimson Tide, just months after their Sweet 16 clash, which Alabama won.
North Carolina will also visit the Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21 to play UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic. This will be the 10th edition of the men's basketball event, with the Tar Heels winning their first two meetings against the Bruins since the affair began in Dec. 2014 at Chicago's United Center.
Meanwhile, a tough regular season awaits the Hubert Davis-coached squad, as they will meet Duke, NC State and Pittsburgh twice in home-and-away series.
North Carolina will play home games against Boston College, California, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU, Stanford and Virginia and visit Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Top North Carolina players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
North Carolina will have six holdovers from last season and six new acquisitions through the transfer portal and high school recruitment. The Tar Heels are on a mission to surpass their Sweet Sixteen appearance from the previous season.
Here are three Tar Heels players that fans should watch out for in the 2024-25 college basketball season:
#1. RJ Davis
RJ Davis is coming back for another year to finish some unfinished business. Last season, the 6-foot-1 combo guard averaged 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
He's expected to lead North Carolina's offensive attack, and his veteran presence will help young players adjust to the Tar Heels' system smoothly.
#2. Cade Tyson
Belmont transfer Cade Tyson is expected to add firepower to North Carolina's arsenal and ease Davis' offensive workload in the 2024-25 season.
Tyson excelled in his two seasons with the Bruins, and in his sophomore year he averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He shot 49.3%, including a sizzling 46.5% from deep and 85.5% from the foul line.
#3. Ian Jackson
Ian Jackson is one of three highly rated high school recruits that North Carolina acquired to beef up its roster for the 2024-25 season.
The 6-foot-4 standout from Our Saviour Lutheran School also played in Overtime Elite and was named first-team All-OTE at the end of the campaign. Jackson was also selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Nike Hoop Summit.
North Carolina's predictions for the 2024-25 season
North Carolina will remain one of the top teams in the expanded Atlantic Coast Conference and could contend for the regular season and ACC Tournament titles, just like last season. Expect the Tar Heels to win at least 25 games during the regular season, due to its high-octane offense led by RJ Davis.
Hubert Davis and his men will need to be consistent this season to surpass their Sweet 16 finish the previous year.
Will the program gain a Final Four slot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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