Hubert Davis is set to begin his fifth season in charge in Chapel Hill under significant pressure. The Tar Heels spent most of the 2024-25 campaign on the wrong side of the bubble, struggling against a brutal non-conference and having troubles finding their footing in ACC play. They did just enough at the conclusion of the season to gain entry into the field - yet were one of the most controversial NCAA Tournament entrants in recent memory.

Unsurprisingly, Davis has made sweeping changes so far this offseason. The Tar Heels replace five players who transferred out with five portal additions of their own, including Arizona's Henri Veesaar, Alabama's Jarin Stevenson, and Colorado State's Kyan Evans. Combined with the departure of R.J. Davis, who exhausted his eligibility after a legendary UNC career, this team will have a completely different look and feel as they look towards what they hope is a redemptive 2025-26 season.

Now, with the release of their non-conference schedule, we have a much better idea the journey the Tar Heels will have to take this winter. There are the usual collection of early-season tune-up opportunities, but also matchups against some of the top programs in the sport. With so many landmines on the schedule even before the Heels hit ACC play, Davis is going to have to this team ready to play right away if he wants to deliver the type of season he needs to preserve his job.

While the Tar Heels will technically begin play with an exhibition against Winston-Salem State, it will be Central Arkansas who will officially kick off their 2025-26 season. The Bears should the type of early-season game where the Tar Heels have little issues with, considering they went just 9-24 a season ago. They were particularly poor away from home, going just 1-17 on the road last season.

Two of the sport's blue bloods will collide in Chapel Hill on November 7 when the Kansas Jayhawks come to town. The two programs have met 14 times in their history but interestingly enough, this will be the first time ever the Jayhawks will travel to Chapel Hill.

Much like UNC, Kansas is looking for a bit of redemption themselves after a 2024-25 season where they went 21-13 overall and barely managed to keep themselves above the .500 threshold in the Big 12. With a host of newcomers, including highly touted true freshman Darryn Peterson, we'll learn a lot about both these teams when they collide so early in the season.

Next up for the Tar Heels will be another game at the Smith Center, as they welcome Radford to town. It will be the fourth time UNC plays the Highlanders, and they've won comfortably in each of their previous three meetings. Seth Trimble is the lone holdover for the Tar Heels from the last time the two met in 2023, a game in which he played just 11 total minutes.

In-state foe North Carolina Central will be UNC's fourth straight game in the friendly confines of Chapel Hill. Another mid-major coming off a rough 2024-25 season, one in which they went 14-19 overall, this should be a game where Davis continues to experiment with UNC's rotation and figures out their best approach for the difficult games that lie on the horizon.

The Navy Midshipmen will be the final home game for the Tar Heels before they travel to Fort Myers for the Fort Myers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend. This matchup will be the first of a home-and-home series between the two, with UNC traveling to Washington D.C. in 2026-2027.

Following the Fort Myers Tip-Off and a road trip to Lexington to face Kentucky in the ACC-SEC Challenge, it's back to the Smith Center on December 7 for a date with the Georgetown Hoyas. Ed Cooley's team made real strides during his second season in charge, doubling their win total from 9 to 18.

The Hoyas will be without star big man Thomas Sorber and veteran guard Micah Peavy, both of whom heard their names called in the 2025 NBA Draft, but Cooley reloaded through the portal. With the arrival of guys like Langston Love, K.J. Lewis, and Dashawn Harris-Smith to the Hoyas, all who have played plenty of minutes of power conference basketball, this should be a good barometer test for the Tar Heels during the early portion of their schedule.

Another opportunity for an early-season tune up for the Tar Heels. USC Upstate went just 6-26 last season, although they were able to give ACC foe Wake Forest a bit of a scare in mid-November last fall, before coming up short 85-80. However, both of the top scorers for the Spartans in that game both moved on over the offseason, making this an even greater uphill battle.

UNC and East Tennessee State will match up for just the second time in their respective histories, with the lone previous meeting coming in 2012. The Buccaneers will be one of the tougher mid-major teams the Heels will see during the non-conference, as they went 19-13 in 2024-25 and finished third in the Southern Conference.

The final game of UNC's non-conference action will pit them against in-state foe East Carolina. The Tar Heels should still be heavy favorites, but they have to avoid looking ahead to ACC action against a Pirates team that could give them a challenge. Michael Schwartz-coached teams always give their opponents a tough, physical game, and should be extra motivated playing against a blue blood like the Heels.

The trek to Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off will be the first action away from home for North Carolina, and an excellent way for them to test themselves - and begin developing an NCAA Tournament resume.

The Heels will clash with St. Bonaventure on November 25 and then get Michigan State two days later on Thanksgiving Day. The Spartans could be poised to take a step back in 2025-26 after making the Elite Eight, as they said goodbye to Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman, and Jaden Akins over the offseason. Still, Tom Izzo always has his teams up and ready to play in these types of non-conference games. It could also serve as an opportunity for some vengeance for Michigan State, as they haven't faced the Tar Heels since being knocked out of the 2023 NCAA Tournament by them.

After the SEC dominated the ACC / SEC Challenge a season ago, both UNC and the rest of the league have to be geared up and ready for this year's event, with this game as one of the main headliners. It will be the Tar Heels first trip to Lexington in over a decade.

Kentucky experienced another offseason full of roster turnover, but Mark Pope and staff were active in their own right, bringing on names like Denzel Aberdeen from Florida and Jayden Quaintance from Arizona State. With Aberdeen and Otega Oweh back in the fold, this should be an explosive Wildcats backcourt - it will be interesting to see how the Heels are able to handle that pair early on in the season without their longtime leader in R.J. Davis.

The 12th edition of the CBS Sports Classic will pair the Heels against Ohio State in a neutral site game in Atlanta. The Buckeyes are a familiar foe for the Heels and one they've had plenty of success against, going 3-0 against them in this event.

Second-year head coach Jake Diebler is out to prove he can get Ohio State back to the NCAA Tournament after three straight seasons without an appearance. The Buckeyes will get opportunities to bolster their resume in the Big Ten, but beating North Carolina in a neutral site game would go a long way in getting them to where they want to go.

The North Carolina non-conference schedule sets up perfectly for this team to be ready for a resurgent season. There are the usual collection of games against mid-majors that will allow Davis and staff to tinker with the rotation and figure out their best looks for 2025-26, along with plenty of chances for UNC pad their resume against strong competition. If this new-look roster can gel quickly, the Tar Heels have the pieces in place to not just sneak into the NCAA Tournament field, but do something once they get there this season.