The University of North Carolina men’s basketball team returns to the court Tuesday night to host Charlotte in the Tar Heels’ final preseason tune-up before opening regular-season play. Tipoff at the Dean E. Smith Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with the exhibition matchup streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
Tuesday’s game marks the third and final exhibition contest for Carolina under first-year head coach Michael Malone. The Tar Heels opened their preseason slate on October 9 with an 88-70 victory over Southern California at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, followed by a 76-58 loss to Indiana on October 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Carolina holds a 2-0 all-time series lead against the 49ers in regular-season or postseason competition. Both previous matchups required overtime: a 93-83 Tar Heel victory in the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in Hartford, Connecticut, featuring standout performances from Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, and Antawn Jamison, and a 75-73 Carolina win in the Smith Center on December 12, 1998.
Malone took over the program on April 7, 2026, becoming the 21st head coach in Tar Heel history. He brings extensive professional experience to Chapel Hill after spending 24 seasons in the NBA, including a 10-year stint leading the Denver Nuggets where he captured the 2023 NBA championship and a two-season run with the Sacramento Kings. He is joined by a veteran coaching staff featuring collegiate and professional veterans, including former standout players Sean May, Deon Thompson, and Brandon Robinson.
The Tar Heels enter the season with a heavily revamped 16-player roster featuring five returners and 11 newcomers. Jarin Stevenson, a 6-10 senior forward from Chapel Hill, is the lone returning starter and paces the roster as the leading returner in scoring, rebounding, and three-pointers following a 24-9 campaign last year.
Following Tuesday’s exhibition, Carolina will open the regular season on November 2 against Western Carolina, initiating a program-first stretch of six consecutive home games to begin the regular slate. The Tar Heels were selected fifth in the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference media poll.
