The UNC men’s basketball team, nearly three months after its NCAA Tournament collapse, has plenty to look forward to in its 2026-27 campaign.
North Carolina will play its first season under head coach Michael Malone, a proven winner with a 2023 NBA Championship in his back pocket. Malone reinforced the Tar Heels’ roster with several high-profile transfers, like former Utah guard Terrence Brown and Malian center Sayon Keita.
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UNC is still finalizing its non-conference schedule, with current matchuips against Arkansas and Kentucky. On Thursday, the Butler Bulldogs announced they’ll be playing at North Carolina on Sunday, December 6.
Tip-off time and channel for this matchup will be announced at a later date, but the Tar Heels now officially have three, high-stakes non-conference matchups in December.
Butler used to be an NCAA Tournament constant, finishing runner-up in 2010 and 2011 under Brad Stevens, who is now the Boston Celtics‘ President of Basketball Operations. The Bulldogs’ last Big Dance appearance came in 2018, though, with their drought spanning from LaVall Jordan to former Ohio State boss Thad Matta.
The hope for Malone is that, despite him being a first-time collegiate coach, he can turn UNC back into a National Championship contender. Malone won 510 regular season games and 44 postseason contests as the Denver Nuggets‘ head coach, proving himself as a winner at the highest level of basketball.
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North Carolina has five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, but only two NCAA Tournament wins since 2022. The Tar Heels last won it all in 2017, though they came within 15 points of winning again in 2022.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball to host Butler Bulldogs in December
