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Analyzing UNC's hoops schedule
• Composite schedule
• N.C. State analysis
• Duke analysis
• ACC highlights
Home: Penn, Kentucky, UNC-Asheville, Oral Roberts, Evansville, Rutgers, College of Charleston
Road: UC Santa Barbara, Nevada
Neutral site: Chaminade (Maui Invitational), Alabama or Oregon (Maui Invitational), Notre Dame or Texas or St. Joe's (Maui Invitational), Michigan State (Detroit), Valpo (Chicago).
Analysis: UNC went unbeaten (17-0) against nonconference foes during the regular season in 2007-08, there's no reason to believe the Heels won't do that again.
Notre Dame or Texas, in the Maui final, stands as the only real obstacle.
Yes, UNC lost two ACC games at the Smith Center last season but I just don't see them losing at home, period. The Kentucky game should be interesting, but Billy Gillespie's team is not at UNC's level.
Curious, though, that UNC has adopted Duke's scheduling formula. The Heels will play at an NCAA site — Dec. 3 vs. Michigan State at Ford Field, home of the Final Four — and gives Valpo the "home" game in Chicago.
Plus, there are only two true road games, albeit a long way from home. Did Mike Krzyzewski make this schedule?
| Nov. 15 | Penn | 4 | FSN |
| Nov. 18 | Kentucky | 9 | ESPN |
| Nov. 21 | @ Cal Santa Barbara | 10 | ESPNU |
| Nov. 24 | @ Chaminade (Maui Invite) | 9:30 | ESPNU |
| Nov. 25 | Alabama or Oregon (Maui Invite) | 9:30 | ESPN |
| Nov. 26 | Maui Invite | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 30 | UNC-Asheville | 6:30 | FSN |
| Dec. 3 | vs. Michigan State (@ Detroit) | 9:15 | ESPN |
| Dec. 13 | Oral Roberts | 6 | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 18 | Evansville | 7 | ESPN |
| Dec. 20 | vs. Valo (@ Chicago) | 2 | ESPNU |
| Dec. 28 | Rutgers | 7:45 | FSN |
| Dec. 31 | Nevada | 10 | ESPN2 |
| Jan. 4 |
Boston College |
5:30 |
FSN |
| Jan. 7 | College of Charleston | 9 | FSN |
| Jan. 11 |
@ Wake Forest |
8 |
FSN |
| Jan. 15 |
@ Virginia |
9 |
TBA |
| Jan. 17 | Miami |
9 |
ESPN |
| Jan. 21 |
Clemson |
9 |
ESPN |
| Jan. 28 |
@ Florida State |
9 |
Raycom |
| Jan. 31 |
@ N.C. State | 3:30 |
ABC |
| Feb. 3 |
Maryland |
8 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 7 |
Virginia |
4 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 11 | @ Duke | 9 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 15 |
@ Miami |
7:45 |
FSN |
| Feb. 18 |
N.C. State |
8 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 21 |
@ Maryland |
3:30 |
ABC |
| Feb. 28 |
Georgia Tech |
noon |
CBS |
| March 4 |
@ Virginia Tech | 7 |
ESPN |
| March 8 |
Duke |
4 |
CBS |
J.P. Giglio
J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997.
Comments
Yes, I was going to make
Sat, 08/30/2008 - 08:06 — ACC Bball Fan (not verified)Yes, I was going to make that same point.
I've seen a couple of articles where you mention Ford Field being an April site and how UNC did well, but ACC-B10 matrchups and sites are not determined by UNC.
Re: smugness
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 09:48 — True Blue Heels Fan (not verified)I don't think it's right to "expect" anything. Yes, the Heels are incredibly talented and there is no reason they should not do well. But one never knows. Injury, chemistry, or just plain stiff competition can upend a bid for an undefeated season. You cannot discount any team on any given day and you still have to play the game. Recall ASU vs. Michigan last year? One game, one day at a time.
Besides making all of us basketball-hungry fans happy, I think the players/team/coaches should enjoy this ride. They certainly deserve it without undue pressure from a fan base who is hard-pressed to go out and perform they way these guys do. It ain't easy. If you think it is, then you have not been paying attention.
True Blue, these guys
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 11:38 — gvillegatrTrue Blue,
these guys to come Carolina for the pressure. It's already there. nothing I say or do will change any of it, positive or negative. you know that.
we expect a national title this year and wouldnt mind going undefeated in the process.
to be continued ...
smugness abode with this
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 09:32 — gvillegatrsmugness with this comment but I expect the next coming of 1976 this season! I believe that was IU (and the NCAA's) last undefeated season.
No need to prove
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 06:25 — Chris Doerfler (not verified)There is no real need to prove that we can win road games, we did that last year. Might as well stick to home, gain the momentum and carry home the trophy in early April. This year is going to be fun...undefeated anybody???
Yes, very Duke-like schedule
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 04:56 — Anonymous (not verified)Since K is the god of all things college basketball, all schools must schedule like Duke.
Certainly someone who has covered the ACC as long as you knows that UNC schedules road games for its scholarship seniors, so the Valpo game in Chicago is Frasor's homecoming game, and Roy has always scheduled a California game on the way to Hawaii (the famous Santa Clara game in '05).
And isn't the Ford Field game vs. Michigan State a function of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge and less some schedule manipulation by UNC???