The second half of the historic home-and-home between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks tips off Friday at 7:00 PM in Chapel Hill.
Coach Dean Smith’s alma mater will play for the first time
in the building that bears his name. This is just one year after the Tar Heels competed in Allen Fieldhouse, where Coach Roy Williams led the Jayhawks for 15 seasons.
Last season’s 92-89 loss was just the second trip to Lawrence, KS for UNC. Carolina beat Kansas 78-70 in December 1960, just three and a half years after the Tar Heels knocked off the Jayhawks in triple overtime in the 1957 NCAA National Championship game. Coach Smith was on the sidelines during the first game in Lawrence as an assistant to Coach Frank McGuire.
But recent history has not been kind to Carolina. UNC has lost five straight to Kansas, including four in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels’ last win over the Jayhawks was a 67-56 victory during the Preseason NIT in November 2002.
Previous matchups:
Much like UNC, KU has a revamped roster. The Jayhawks lost their top six scorers to graduation or the transfer portal. Just three scholarship players and eight percent of scoring and minutes played return from last season.
One of those returning players is forward Flory Bidunga. The 6-10 sophomore from Democratic Republic of the Congo will have the starting job in the paint with Hunter Dickinson’s departure to the NBA.
As a reserve last season, Bidunga led the Big 12 in field goal percentage. His efficiency on offense, combined with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability, will make him a player to watch this season.
The highly touted recruit must work on his consistency in both effort and execution. Bidunga scored a career high 23 points in Kansas’ season opener against Green Bay, rebounding after a disappointing effort in the exhibition versus Fort Hays State. Kansas head coach Bill Self called Bidunga’s preseason performance “not very good,” because he did not play to his size and athleticism.
Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson must match Bidunga’s aggressiveness and athleticism in the post. A key strategy for the UNC big men will be to force Bidunga into foul trouble. On Monday night against Green Bay, Bidunga had two fouls with 6:44 left in the first half and sat until after the break.
Another player to watch is freshman guard Darryn Peterson. He was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked as either the first, second, or third recruit in the 2025 class from the major recruiting services. He was selected as an unanimous choice for the Big 12 Preseason First Team and as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. Early draft boards have Peterson as a lottery pick, even going as the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
In his collegiate debut Monday night, Peterson scored 21 points in just 22 minutes of action. His first bucket was a three-pointer a minute and a half into the game to give Kansas a lead they would never relinquish. At the end of the first half, Peterson stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
The best defense against Peterson may be introducing him to big-time college hoops. There will be no wine and cheese on Friday night. The game between these ranked teams will be in front of a sold-out Smith Center crowd, and Tar Heel fans know how raucous and loud it can get during these special games. The defense needs to feed off the energy of the crowd to play smart and aggressively from the opening tip. If the team throws in some run-and-jumps to disrupt Peterson and force some early turnovers, it could throw him off his game, at least for a bit.
Senior guard Seth Trimble will be looked upon to anchor the perimeter defense this season. Still, Veesaar, Wilson, and Jarin Stevenson are big guys who are mobile enough to switch and guard smaller players on the perimeter. Kansas will be looking to make space, especially for Peterson, so Carolina must work hard to fight over on-ball screens.
Although he may not be a consistent starter this season, Kohl Rosario, a 6-6 freshman, earned the start on Monday night. Teammate Tre White said Rosario has “the best motor on the team.” If he can maintain that level of effort and find consistency in his shot, Rosario will be a key contributor for the Jayhawks.
To complete the roster, Self added four key transfers through the transfer portal.
- Tre White is a 6-7 wing known for his versatility, particularly with his ability to support at the rim.
- Melvin Council, Jr., is a guard from St. Bonaventure, known for being a solid defender and an effective offensive playmaker.
- Jayden Dawson was brought in from Loyola Chicago to be a sharpshooter. Last season, Dawson hit 36 percent from three.
- Nginyu Ngala is a 26-year-old transfer from Canada who can provide experienced depth in the backcourt.
Below is the projected starting lineup for Kansas:
