Coming off their first loss of the 2025-2026 season, the UNC basketball program has another tough test ahead of them as they look to avoid a two-game losing streak.
That test comes in the form of Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats, as the rivalry between the two Blue Bloods will be renewed on Tuesday night in Lexington.
2025-2026 Season
No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 6-1
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-0
Top-25 Wins: 1
No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats
Overall record: 5-2
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Site Record: 0-1
History
Kentucky leads the all-time series between the two programs, holding a 12-9 advantage. The Wildcats have also won each of the previous two matchups along with five of the previous seven meetings.
The last matchup occurred on December 16, 2023 as part of the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. Kentucky, the No. 14-ranked team in the country at that time, was able to secure a hard-fought 87-83 victory over the then-ranked No. 9 UNC basketball program.
RJ Davis led the way with 27 points and seven rebounds for the Tar Heels while Cormac Ryan put together an impressive 20-point outing. Even though North Carolina shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the second half, Kentucky had the advantage in bench points (36-14) and crushed the Tar Heels on the class (42-32 advantage). The Tar Heels' 17 turnovers certainly didn't help them in their pursuit of a top-25 victory.
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 19.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Luka Bogavac (Jr. Guard)- 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Kentucky
Denzel Aberdeen (Sr. Guard)- 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Otega Oweh (Sr. Guard)- 13.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Collin Chandler (So. Guard)- 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Everything looks better when...
The ball goes in the basket!
North Carolina struggled with that against Michigan State, especially from beyond-the-arc. You simply can't miss 19 of your 23 shot attempts from deep: at some point, someone (not named Caleb Wilson) has to knock down some shots!
Teams are going to throw the kitchen sink at Wilson in an effort to slow him down. This should open up opportunities for others on the court, as the Tar Heels (cough, the guards) must find a way to knock down their open looks.
If not, the UNC basketball program is going to struggle winning games.
Something to Watch For
Two former UNC basketball recruiting targets will suit up against the Tar Heels.
Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, two standout Class of 2025 targets, both chose Kentucky over North Carolina during their recruting processes. Now, the duo will look to take down the Tar Heels and remind them of what they missed out on.
While Johnson was the higher-ranked prospect, Moreno would be the guy who could've helped this current UNC basketball team even more. Moreno would've served as the perfect compliment to Henri Veesaar in the front court, providing Hubert Davis with a capable big man to go to off the bench to give Veesaar a breather or relieve him if he gets into foul trouble.
It's safe to say that Tar Heel fans hope neither player does well in this matchup, as their success would be a awful reminder of what could've been had they chosen North Carolina.
Projected Starters
No. 0- Kyan Evans
No. 44- Luka Bogavac
No. 8- Caleb Wilson
No. 15- Jarin Stevenson
No. 13- Henri Veesaar