2014-15 Basketball Schedule Released

Most of this we have known for months in some form but here is UNC's schedule laid out in full.

Of note is the fact UNC has only three games set for an 8:00 PM or later start this season with the possibility of two others being moved to 8:00 and 9:00 PM respectively. The times for two of the games in the Bahamas are also unknown and could also be later games. This is a marked change from previous seasons where UNC often was saddled with several late games much to the chagrin of the local media covering the games.

If you are looking for the toughest part of the schedule, the stretch at the end of January into mid-February is downright nasty. Starting with the January 26th game against Syracuse, UNC plays four of six games on the road against the Orange, Louisville, Virginia, Boston College, Pitt and Duke. The saving grace in that stretch is a week break between a trip to Boston College and facing Pitt on the road followed four days later by a game at Duke.

In the out-of-conference schedule, UNC will play games at two postseason sites with a game against UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum which hosts the ACC Tournament. The Heels also travel to Charlotte to face Davidson. Charlotte will be a 2nd and 3rd Round host for the NCAA Tournament and an ideal destination if UNC can get a good seed position. The rest of the non-league slate is tough with games against Iowa, Kentucky and Ohio State in December coming on the heels of three games in the Bahamas against a stacked Battle4Atlantis field.

Via UNC here is a statement from Tar Heel head coach Roy Williams on the schedule.

"There’s certain points in (the schedule) that I think that are really, really challenging but that’s what we are as the ACC now – the best conference maybe in the history of college basketball, the most challenging conference in the history of college basketball," says Williams. "There are a few points that are really going to be difficult for our team. We’ve got to be at the top of our game, every game, regardless of who you playing or where you are playing. Because it’s that kind of league."

"I can’t imagine any league ever being what we are right now," says Williams. "In the old days if you finished in the top half – one, two, three or four – that was pretty good. Now there are 15 teams and to finish in the top half may be even more difficult than it was when there were just eight teams. You add Notre Dame, you add Syracuse, you add Pittsburgh, you add Louisville. The league was pretty doggone good before and the history of what has happened in this league over time has been impressive. Now the ACC is just off the charts. A couple of those runs through that league will be a test for everybody. It will be interesting to see how people stand at the end."

UNC will play two exhibition games this season as opposed to one and a secret scrimmage. The season opens on Friday, November 14th against NC Central.