No. 1 North Carolina battles UNCW in season opener

The UNC men's basketball program will begin their campaign as the No. 1 team in the country on Monday night.

Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

After seven months, college basketball is back with 126 games on the docket to begin the season. 

The No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will open up their 2022-2023 campaign at 9 p.m. with a non-conference matchup against UNC-Wilmington.

Four starters return to Chapel Hill, bringing back experience and expectations in Hubert Davis' second season at the helm.

Preseason ACC Player of the Year Armando Bacot headlines the Tar Heels roster, aided by Final Four hero Caleb Love, lockdown defender Leaky Black, and point guard R.J. Davis.

With the departure of Brady Manek, Hubert Davis and company found their replacement in the form of Northwestern transfer Pete Nance. Nance, who will take over the stretch four role in the lineup, provides rim protection and high-percentage scoring at all three levels.

A 101-40 preseason exhibition win over Johnson C. Smith gave North Carolina fans a glimpse at the veteran Tar Heels, despite missing R.J. Davis and Puff Johnson due to injury.

Now, with the regular season set to begin, Takayo Siddle will bring the UNCW Seahawks to Chapel Hill in his third season, guiding the reigning College Basketball Invitational Champions.

The CAA Coach of the Year utilized the transfer portal during the offseason with eight newcomers heading to Wilmington to join guard Shykeim Phillips.

North Carolina sits as 23 point favorites over the Seahawks, who will face-off against the Tar Heels for the first time since 2019. The then Roy Williams-led UNC program, left the coast with a 78-62 victory on the road.

Early season contests can often bring slow starts and a plethora of different rotations. The debut of Pete Nance is highly anticipated, but the big story line is the first appearance for a trio of Tar Heel freshmen.

Seth Trimble, Tyler Nickel, and Will Shaver are expected to play in the season-opener, as freshman big man Jalen Washington continues to rehab from ACL surgery.

Prediction

Rotations and a team's first game together can cause a lower score or a lower margin of victory, but North Carolina is the No. 1 team in the country. Whether outside shots aren't falling or set plays aren't bringing about open looks, the Tar Heels will use their abundance of talent and scoring options to dismantle the Seahawks.

Pete Nance will score in double figures in his North Carolina debut and Armando Bacot will start off his National Player of the Year campaign on the right foot.

North Carolina 87, UNC-Wilmington 61