Mar 27, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis looks on during practice for their Sweet Sixteen college basketball game in the NCAA tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UNC Men’s Hoops Schedule Breakdown: USC Upstate

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The UNC men's basketball team has quite a schedule during its non-conference slate, facing teams such as Kansas, Michigan State, Kentucky, and Ohio State, just to name a few programs. Amidst all of those respective teams, the Tar Heels will also face USC Upstate.

Head Coach Hubert Davis and his players will host the Spartans inside the Dean Dome on Saturday, December 13. The time for the contest has not been released at this time.

Coach Davis and the Tar Heels are coming off a down year (as the trend continues to repeat itself for seasons), completing the 2024-2025 campaign with an overall record of 23-14 and 13-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

However, with the help of General Manager Jim Tanner, he has been a crucial piece in reshaping UNC's roster for this coming season after a huge mass exodus since the offseason started.

The departures of RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson and Jalen Washington, among others, left holes that needed to be filled if Coach Davis wants a chance to be successful in year No. 5.

How Did USC Upstate Perform Last Season?

USC Upstate, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is led by Head Coach Mark Richter. Last season, a majority of Coach Richter's scoring was led by then-freshman Mister Dean (15.7 points), then-junior Brit Harris (11.6 points), then-sophomore Karmani Gregory (11.1 points), and then-freshman Carmelo Adkins (10.1 points). However, despite the team having four double-digit scorers, USC Upstate only mustered six wins, in addition to going 2-14 in the Big South.

The Spartans' winning splits were 4-10 at home and 2-14 on the road, finishing with a three-game losing streak after playing High Point, Longwood and Gardner-Webb (during the Hercules Tires Big South Men's Basketball Championship).

Coach Richter's team recorded wins against the following teams: Piedmont, Southern Wesleyan, Brevard, Western Carolina, Presbyterian and Charleston Southern.

The Tar Heels will, in simple terms, will be favored to win this matchup, especially in front of the raving fans in Chapel Hill. Coach Davis having players such as Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Seth Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar will make strategizing easier.

Although if the Tar Heels lose, then another story will be told, one that may probably gain concerns.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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