We all waited patiently. Now 227 days since their last game, the UNC basketball program is ready to begin a new season, hosting Central Arkansas on Monday night to open up the 2025-2026 campaign.
While the roster looks a lot different this go-around, hearing "Jump Around" blasting through the Dean Smith Center loudspeakers will always feel the same!
Year 5 of the Hubert Davis era is set to begin, a season that feels like a very important one for the UNC basketball program. After barely making the NCAA Tournament a season ago, this new-look Tar Heels team, loaded with transfer and incoming freshman additions, look to get Carolina Basketball on the right track, and appear to have all the pieces in order to do it.
Their first opponent is Central Arkansas of the ASUN. Following a rough first season under new head coach John Shulman, the program is hopeful to see better results in year two with a whole-new looking starting lineup to work with.
2024-2025 Season In Review
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 23-14
Conference Record: 13-7
Home Record: 12-3
Away Record: 6-6
Neutral Site Record: 5-5
Central Arkansas
Overall record: 9-24
Conference Record: 4-14
Home Record: 7-7
Away Record: 1-17
Neutral Site Record: 1-0
Key Players (with 2024–2025 stats)
North Carolina
Seth Trimble (Sr. Guard)- 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Guard)- Five-star freshman forward
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists (at Arizona)
Central Arkansas
Camren Hunter (Sr. Guard)- 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists (2022–2023 stats at Central Arkansas- transferred to Wisconsin for the 2024-2025 season)
Cole McCormick (So. Forward)- 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds
Truman Byrne (Fr. Forward)- incoming freshman from Australia
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Continue Building
Exhibition play showcased a lot of positives (and of course, some negatives) for the UNC basketball program.
The key now is to continue building on the successes, looking to rectify the areas of weakness as regular season action gets underway.
Take Care of the Basketball
It might sound cliché, but it's an important aspect that the Tar Heels need to truly focus on.
In the scrimmage against BYU, sloppiness hurt the Tar Heels in their one-possession loss, especially in the first half of play. With a new-look roster, you could expect some mistakes to happen, but the great teams are able to gel quicker, which alleviates some of these costly turnovers from occurring.
Something to Watch for
While Luka Bogavac likely won't be cleared to suit up, it shouldn't take away from the fact that a handful of newcomers are going to make their official UNC basketball debuts.
Caleb Wilson, the five-star talent who is projected as an NBA Draft lottery pick, will receive the most buzz, as fans are ready to see what he can officially bring to the table. Others, such as Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, Kyan Evans and true freshman Derek Dixon, are also players that will provide intrigue this season, all of whom are slated to play big roles for this new version of Carolina basketball.
Projected Starters
No. 0- Kyan Evans
No. 7- Seth Trimble
No. 8- Caleb Wilson
No. 15- Jarin Stevenson
No. 13- Henri Veesaar