Coming off a major victory over Kansas to wrap up the first week of the college basketball season, the UNC basketball program opens up a new week by hosting the Radford Highlanders in the fourth-ever meeting between the two squads.
North Carolina has had great success against the Highlanders in their limited history, but will look to maintain the momentum against a team that would love to come into the Smith Center and pull off an upset. Now ranked No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, the UNC basketball program will also be without Seth Trimble, who will miss a few weeks due to surgery on his left forearm.
There's plenty to keep an eye on for this upcoming non-conference battle, as one will end the night with their first defeat in the loss column.
2025-2026 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 2-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Top-25 Wins: 1
Radford Highlanders
Overall record: 2-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
History
North Carolina holds a 3-0 record against Radford all-time.
The Tar Heels are 2-0 at the Smith Center against the Highlanders, as the other meeting between the two sides came in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
In the last meeting between the two teams, the UNC basketball program secured an 86-70 victory. Armando Bacot led the way with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while RJ Davis (13 points), Cormac Ryan (13) and Harrison Ingram (12) provided double-digit scoring outputs.
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Kyan Evans (Jr. Guard)- 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Radford
Del Jones (So. Guard)- 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists
Dennis Parker Jr. (Jr. Guard)- 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Jaylon Johnson (Sr. Guard)- 12.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Let the bigs go to work
The UNC basketball program has a size advantage in this one, especially with regard to the starting unit.
Not featuring a starter over 6-foot-9 (sounds like UNC a season ago), Radford will have their work cut out for them trying to slow down both Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson. Don't forget Jarin Stevenson's 6-foot-10 frame at the other forward position, as it will be important for North Carolina to impose its will in the post while forcing the visiting Highlanders into foul trouble.
Don't feed into the noise
Drastic jump in the AP Top 25 rankings, a major win over Kansas, PLUS all the hype around superstar freshman Caleb Wilson.
A lot is going on in Chapel Hill (a lot of positive, that is), but this group can't let the outside noise get in the way of their ultimate mission this season.
It's easy to overlook an opponent like Radford, especially following a nationally televised top-25 game. North Carolina has to come out of the gate strong, asserting its dominance, showing the country that the outside noise won't get to their heads.
Something to Watch for
This game will be the first in which Seth Trimble will be inactive following his surgery on his left forearm. It will provide us with an early glimpse of how Hubert Davis and his staff are looking to operate in Trimble's absence, as there are minutes to be had and multiple players should factor into the equation to fill the void.
While Luka Bogavac is the obvious choice to slide into the starting lineup, the decision might not be as clear-cut as we think. Expect to see a lot of Jonathan Powell, Jaydon Young, and even a little of Isaiah Denis as the Tar Heels try to figure out the right recipe to fill Trimble's spot until he returns in a few weeks.
Projected Starters
No. 0- Kyan Evans
No. 44- Luka Bogavac
No. 8- Caleb Wilson
No. 15- Jarin Stevenson
No. 13- Henri Veesaar