UNC’s Three Keys to Beating Kansas in Primetime Showdown

No. 25 North Carolina (1-0) will take on No. 19 Kansas (1-0) in a primetime matchup at the Dean Smith Center on Friday at 7 p.m.

The Tar Heels are coming off a dominant 94-54 win over Central Arkansas, while the Jayhawks opened their season with a 94-51 victory against Green Bay. Kansas leads the all-time series 7-6 and has won the last five meetings, including last year’s 92-89 win in Lawrence and a 72-69 victory in the 2022 national championship game in New Orleans.

Despite having 13 meetings, the two blue blood programs will face each other in Chapel Hill for the first time in the series. However, it is not the first time the teams have met in North Carolina. The Tar Heels won both previous matchups against the Jayhawks in North Carolina: a 60-49 victory in Raleigh on Dec. 11, 1979, and a 74-67 win in Charlotte on Nov. 28, 1981.

Although North Carolina has never hosted Kansas in Chapel Hill, the Jayhawks have hosted the Tar Heels twice, winning the first matchup 78-70 and last season’s meeting 92-89.

Here are three keys for North Carolina to earn a major early-season victory over Kansas.

Slowing Down Darryn Peterson

After facing AJ Dybantsa and BYU, North Carolina’s next challenge is slowing down Darryn Peterson, the projected No. 1 overall pick according to The Athletic, CBS and ESPN. Peterson recorded 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in Kansas’ season-opening win against Green Bay, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line. He also scored 26 points against No. 11 Louisville in an exhibition game.

Containing Peterson will not be easy — he is going to get his points regardless. The key for UNC is to keep him from erupting for a huge night. Could Seth Trimble, despite being three inches shorter, use his defensive prowess and ability to create turnovers to slow Peterson? Or will versatile 6-foot-10 forward Jarin Stevenson, a standout defender both in the paint and on the perimeter, draw the assignment?

The Tar Heels have several players capable of defending Peterson. The question is whether they can collectively slow a player of his caliber.

Caleb Wilson Needs to Have a Big Game

While Seth Trimble leads this North Carolina team, freshman Caleb Wilson provides the energy. Wilson has been exciting the crowd with his play, highlighted by several dunks, including a poster slam in UNC’s exhibition game against Winston-Salem State.

In his college debut, Wilson finished with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block to help lead UNC to a 94-51 win over Central Arkansas. His most impressive outing came during an exhibition in Salt Lake City against No. 8 BYU, when he recorded a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and a steal.

Given the significance of the upcoming game and after leading the push for a “white out” in less than 24 hours, Wilson will need another standout performance if the Tar Heels are going to come out on top.

The Boards

UNC, UNC Basketall — Henri veesaar throws down a dunk against Central Arkansas; Nov. 3, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

North Carolina’s main focus in building this year’s roster was to get bigger—not just in the frontcourt, but also in the backcourt—and this was for a number of reasons. However, this is North Carolina, and they had one common trait: they could rebound. That showed against Central Arkansas 45-30, scored 46 points in the paint compared to UCA's 20, and tallied 18 second-chance points to UCA's 12.

However, Central Arkansas was much smaller than North Carolina in terms of height. Kansas, on the other hand, is tall and boasts impressive length and size inside, led by 6-foot-10, 235-pound sophomore Flory Bidunga. An excellent rebounder, Bidunga averaged 5.4 boards in just 16.3 minutes per game last season and pulled down six rebounds in the Jayhawks’ opener. Freshman seven-footer Bryson Tiller added five rebounds in 15 minutes Monday night.

Coach Bill Self can also turn to a backcourt with tall guards such as Melvin Council (6-4), Darryn Peterson (6-6), Kohl Rosario (6-6) and Tre White (6-7). Self’s Kansas teams have always played extremely tough, and controlling the glass will be one of the biggest keys—if not the biggest—in Friday night’s matchup, a battle North Carolina must win to have a chance at victory.

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