UNC Basketball has never played against these teams

CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 04: A overhead general view of the Dean E. Smith Center during a game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils on March 04, 2023 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Duke won 62-57. Pictured is R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbling the ball. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /

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7 Dec 1996: North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Dean Smith confers with guard Ed Cota during the Pepsi Challenge against the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC won the game, 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones / /

Big East

Of the 11 teams that make up the Big East Conference, the UNC basketball program has not seen four of the teams in tournament play:

DePaul
Seton Hall
St. John’s
Xavier

Of course, this conference hosts the likes of Creighton (who Tar Heels fans blame for ruining the team’s 2012 national championship run when Kendall Marshall was injured), and UConn, the 2023 NCAA champs (important to note the Tar Heels won their only matchup with the Huskies in the 1998 quarterfinals).

With Rick Pitino taking over at St. John’s, an NCAA Tournament matchup with the Red Storm may be the most likely among these four programs. It would be interesting as well, given that former UNC basketball commit Simeon Wilcher de-committed to head to St. John’s, as this could be a rather enticing matchup for both sides.

Don’t count out Seton Hall, as head coach Shaheen Holloway would love another crack at the Tar Heels after they ended his magical tournament run with St. Peter’s back in 2022.

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