No. 1 Kansas plays host to No. 9 North Carolina on Friday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence in one of the biggest games of the 2024-25 college basketball season. The marquee nonconference matchup will be the sixth meeting between the college basketball blue bloods this century and the first since Kansas’ 72-69 win in the NCAA Tournament title game over UNC in 2022.
The Jayhawks opened the season with an 87-57 win over Howard at home. South Dakota State transfer guard Zeke Mayo came off the bench and scored a game-high 19 points, and preseason All-American big man Hunter Dickinson finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Kansas has won the last four meetings against North Carolina.
The Tar Heels struggled in their season opener against Elon before pulling away in the final minutes. UNC preseason All-American guard RJ Davis led the charge in the 90-76 win over the Phoenix by scoring a game-high 24 points. Four UNC starters scored in double-figures in that victory, which included a 17-point outburst from point guard Elliot Cadeau.
UNC’s matchup with Kansas is the second matchup between preseason AP top-10 teams. No. 6 Gonzaga opened the season with a 101-63 win over No. 8 Baylor earlier in the week.
How to watch Kansas vs. North Carolina live
Date: Friday, Nov. 8 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Allen Fieldhouse — Lawrence, Kansas
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Kansas vs. North Carolina prediction, picks
North Carolina, an 8-point underdog according to the latest odds from DraftKings, looked vulnerable in its season-opener against Elon, but it’s too early to panic about the Tar Hels not being a consensus top-10 team in the sport. Cadeau was a player who was a potential breakout candidate, and he will be the X-Factor against Kansas. North Carolina should keep this game close, but the hostile environment inside Allen Fieldhouse will be the difference. Pick: North Carolina +8
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