Tracking UNC’s Nonconference Competition Through Their Latest Exhibition Matchups

North Carolina opens the season against Central Arkansas, marking the start of a challenging nonconference schedule for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina faces several challenging nonconference matchups this season. The Tar Heels will host No. 19 Kansas at the Dean Dome on Nov. 7, meet No. 22 Michigan State in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thanksgiving Day in the Fort Myers Classic, travel to Lexington to face No. 9 Kentucky, welcome Georgetown for a home game, and take on Ohio State at a neutral site in Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic.

Here is how each of those teams fared in their exhibition games.

Kansas (90-82 win over Louisville)

The Jayhawks shot 50% from the floor and 8-for-21 (38.1%) from beyond the arc had six player score in the double-digits. Freshman Darryn Peterson led the Jayhawks with 26 points while shooting nine of 15 (60%) from the field and six of 10 (60%) from the perimeter. He also had five steals.

The Jayhawks were outrebounded 47-34 despite having the height advantage over Louisville. Also of note, Louisville also had 39 attempts. That should be something to watch out for when UNC plays Kansas on Friday night.

Michigan State (75-66 Win vs. BGSU, 76-69 Loss vs. UConn)

In its win over Bowling Green, Michigan State blocked 14 shots and had 24 of its 27 field goals come off an assist. The Spartans finished with a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Coen Carr posted 17 points, five rebounds, five blocks, four assists and a steal. Jaxon Kohler recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, along with two blocks.

In its loss against UConn, MSU was down by double-digits for most of the game. A big factor in that game was how poor shooting by the Spartans, who shot 39% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. That was also an ongoing issue tn their against Bowling Green as Michigan State only made 41.5% of their shots from the field while shooting eight of 25 (32%) from beyond the arc.

Kentucky (78-65 win over No. 1 Purdue, Lost 84-70 to Georgetown)

In its win over Purdue, Kentucky held the Boilermakers to 22-of-57 shooting (38.6%) and 17.6% from beyond the arc. Jasper Johnson scored 15 points, Otega Oweh finished with 10, and Trent Noah added 10, all reaching double figures.

The Wildcats lost to Georgetown by double digits, playing without Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen and Jayden Quaintance. Kentucky even held the lead with six minutes to play. Oweh finished with 17 points, Moussa Dioubate scored 13, and Colin Chander added 11.

Georgetown (73-64 win over George Washington, 84-70 win over Kentucky)

UNC — Oct 30, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Georgetown Hoyas guard Malik Mack (2) handles the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Georgetown opened exhibition play with a nine-point victory over crosstown rival George Washington. The Hoyas held the Colonials to 32 points each half while limiting them to 41.3% shooting overall and 28.1% from beyond the arc. Georgetown shot 44.3% from the field and 36% from three-point range.

Caleb Williams led the Hoyas with 20 points, going 4-for-4 from inside the arc and 4-for-7 from three. Malik Mack added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Kayvaun Mulready contributed 12 points, all on three-pointers.

In its 14-point win over a top 10 Kentucky squad, Georgetown outperformed Kentucky in nearly every key statistical category, taking the edge in points off turnovers (23-12), bench points (27-17) and points in the paint (38-24). The Hoyas relied heavily on their inside scoring and defense, making only five three-pointers while amassing 84 points. They converted 26 of 40 shots from inside the arc, good for 65%.

Malik Mack led the way for Georgetown with 22 points. K.J. Lewis added 19 after a quiet first game, and Vincent Iwuchukwu chipped in 14, hitting eight of nine from the free-throw line. They were the only Hoyas to finish in double figures.

Ohio State (103-74 win over Ohio)

Ohio State had an efficient scoring night, shooting 60.3% from the field and connecting on 10 of 25 three-pointers for 40%. The Buckeyes scored 50 points in the paint, added 35 points off the bench, and capitalized on 23 points off Ohio turnovers. They recorded 26 assists on 35 made baskets.

Seven Buckeyes scored in double digits, largely led by their strong frontcourt. Power forward Brandon Noel paced the team with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Center Christopher Tilly added 14 points. Power forward Amare Bynum and forward Devin Royal contributed 13 points each, while 7-foot-2 center Ivan Njegovan finished with 10. Ohio State's size and depth in the paint proved too much for the Bobcats.

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