UNC basketball paired up with reigning NCAA champion UConn at Jimmy V Classic

As North Carolina plots a route back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the field last season, the Tar Heels get a chance to beat the team that won it all.

UNC will face the reigning NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies as part of the Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden, ESPN announced Monday.

In addition to the UNC-UConn game, Florida Atlantic will face Illinois as part of the Dec. 5 doubleheader.

The event marks UNC coach Hubert Davis’ return to the arena where he played his first four NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, who selected him with the No. 20 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft.

Davis coached the Tar Heels to an 89-84 overtime win over Ohio State last Dec. 17 at Madison Square Garden as part of the CBS Sports Classic doubleheader.

“It’s a great opportunity to play the defending national champions and return to Madison Square Garden, a special place that has meant a lot to me,” Davis said in a statement. “Carolina fans were amazing when we played in the Garden last year against Ohio State, so we know the atmosphere will be something special. It’s also a blessing and honor to play in this year’s Jimmy V Classic as coach Valvano is being inducted in the Hall of Fame this year. It should be a great night to celebrate coach Valvano and college basketball.”

Last season, Davis’ second as UNC’s head coach, the Tar Heels finished 20-13 overall and were not selected to play in the NCAA Tournament.

With all-ACC center Armando Bacot and senior guard RJ Davis returning, the Tar Heels are expected to be ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams entering this season. UNC has also added transfers Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame), Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville) and James Okonkwo (West Virginia) in addition to freshman guard Elliott Cadeau.

In addition to the game with UConn, the Tar Heels have also announced a nonconference home game with Tennessee on Nov. 29 at the Smith Center as part of the new ACC-SEC Challenge. UNC plays Oklahoma on Dec. 20 at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center in the Jumpman Invitational.

UNC is one of eight teams participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas during Thanksgiving week. The Tar Heels play Northern Iowa on Nov. 22 and will play either Villanova or Texas Tech on Nov. 23. UNC’s final game at the tournament will be Nov. 24.

While UNC’s ACC schedule has not been finalized, the Tar Heels know they will have home games with Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Syracuse plus road games at Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Virginia, Duke, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Syracuse.