The UNC basketball program looks to open up 2026 on a positive note as they head to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs to continue conference play.
With SMU entering the league just a year ago, this will be the first time that North Carolina will take this trip to battle with the Mustangs. The two teams met in Chapel Hill just about a year ago, as the Tar Heels defended their home court in an 82-67 victory over their new ACC foe.
Now, the series shifts to the home court of the Mustangs, as the two teams who have both gotten off to strong starts will look to add another blemish to their opponent's record.
2025-2026 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 13-1
Conference Record: 1-0
Home Record: 10-0
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Top-25 Wins: 2
SMU Mustangs
Overall record: 11-2
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 9-0
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
History
The only meeting between these two teams occurred on January 7, 2025 in Chapel Hill, a game in which the UNC basketball program secured a 15-point victory over the visiting SMU Mustangs.
SMU struggled offensively, knocking down just 23 of 69 shots. They were 4-18 from three-point range, as Boopie Miller, the team's leading scorer this season, was held to just 9 points on 3-15 shooting.
A trio of Tar Heels carried the scoring load in the first-ever meeting between the two squads. RJ Davis scored a game-high 26 points and added five rebounds and four assists, while freshmen Ian Jackson (18 points, seven rebounds) and Drake Powell (17 points), helped provide 61 of North Carolina's 82 points.
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 19.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 16.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Seth Trimble (Sr. Guard)- 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists
SMU
Boopie Miller (Sr. Guard)- 19.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists
Jaron Pierre Jr. (Sr. Guard)- 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists
B.J. Edwards (Sr. Guard)- 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Slow down SMU's high-powered offense
SMU has been one of the country's best offensive teams through the early portion of the 2025-2026 season.
The second-best scoring team in the ACC and the No. 15-ranked offense in the country, SMU has four 100-point games under their belt, including scoring 75+ points in 10 of their 13 contests.
North Carolina, on the other hand, hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 75 points in a game this season.
Something's got to give here.
North Carolina must slow down SMU's offense, putting a major emphasis on the Mustangs' three-headed monster of Boopie Miller, B.J. Edwards and Jaron Pierre Jr. The Tar Heels can keep up in a high-scoring game, but whoever ends up stepping it up defensively will have a huge advantage in regard to coming out of this game victorious.
Something to Watch For
Kyan Evans had his best performance as a Tar Heel to end 2025, draining five three-pointers in a 15-point effort against FSU.
Can Evans build upon his success as 2026 begins?
Additionally, Henri Veesaar was a non-factor in the first half of that game, but turned it up a notch in the second half. Hubert Davis emphasized in the locker room at halftime that the junior big man needed to be more involved, which is exactly what happened over the final 20 minutes of action.
Does North Carolina come out of the gate focused on making sure Veesaar isn't a spectator early on?
Projected Starters
No. 0- Kyan Evans
No. 7- Seth Trimble
No. 44- Luka Bogavac
No. 8- Caleb Wilson
No. 13- Henri Veesaar