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Via ESPN's Andy Katz:
NCAA men's basketball teams are allowed to go on a foreign trip every four years, but rarely have so many high-major programs gone to the same location within a few weeks of each other like they will this August in the Bahamas.
Likely preseason No. 1 Kentucky, ACC title contender North Carolina, 2014 NCAA tournament teams Ohio State, Pitt, Cincinnati, and a possible 2015 tourney squad in Ole Miss highlight 13 Division I teams that will play staggered exhibition games in the Bahamas from Aug. 2 to Aug. 25.
Teams are allowed to practice a maximum of 10 times prior to leaving on the trip.
According to Katz, UNC will face the Providence Storm on August 15th in the Bahamas then take on the Bahama All-Stars the next day.
The last time UNC went on a preseason trip like this was prior to the 2010-11 season when the Harrison Barnes/Kendall Marshall/Reggie Bullock class came in. And like that season UNC will also play a regular season tournament at a tropical location with the Tar Heels returning to the Bahamas in late November to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
This sort of experience can only be helpful for UNC both for purposes of team bonding plus getting everyone, the freshmen included, some live action against a real opponent prior to the official start of practice.