UNC Basketball to compete in the St. Jude Tip Off Classic

After providing information on an exhibition game to be held in late October at the Dean Smith Center, the UNC basketball program announced that they'll compete in the St. Jude Tip-Off Classic on October 15.

This is a charity exhibition game that will take the Tar Heels on the road to Memphis, Tennessee, to square off against Penny Hardaway and the Tigers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST at the FedEx Forum and will be aired on ESPNU.

Many players who have worn the Carolina Blue have spent a lot of time at the local children's hospital in Chapel Hill, so it's very fitting UNC basketball program will play in this exhibition game, one that will benefit the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

This is a great cause and a tremendous opportunity for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels to see some game action. While the Tar Heels return a good amount of key contributors, there are quite a few new faces to consider, as the UNC basketball program's two exhibition contests will serve as an opportunity for the collection of talent to gel a bit before the start of the regular season.

For Memphis, Hardaway and the Tigers lost each of their top six scorers from a season ago but reloaded the roster via the transfer portal. This exhibition will be the first opportunity that the Tigers have to see their new-look roster in action against another opponent.

The new NCAA rules allow teams to schedule exhibitions such as this one, as the days of "secret scrimmages" may ultimately become a thing of the past. Now, there's more flexibility for programs to compete in preseason contests while doing it for a good cause, as this exhibition is a perfect example of just that.