UNC-Indiana Matchup Is One of the Premier Games of the 2012-2013 Season

What a great night of basketball it will be on Nov. 27 when North Carolina faces Indiana in what will be the first night of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

This isn't the only potential Top 10 matchup of the night, though; Michigan and NC State will face each other in Ann Arbor in a game that will pit two conference contenders against each other, both of whom will likely be ranked in the Top 10.

Not only is the UNC-Indiana game the premiere matchup of the Challenge, but it is also one of the best games of the entire season, regardless of conference.

These are obviously two of the most storied programs in college basketball history, as both programs have each won five national titles and have a combined 26 Final Four appearances.

Plus, the game is being played in one of basketball's most historical venues, Assembly Hall. Is there really a better way to jump start the basketball season than to have these two powerhouses meet in a late November showdown?

There is a great chance that Indiana will come into the season ranked preseason No. 1, and deservedly so. What baffles me is how some preseason polls have North Carolina outside of the Top 10.

All that people seem to be talking about are the losses of Kendall Marshall, John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller. Yes, losing them will obviously hurt, but people seem to be ignoring who the Heels have coming back.

Not only will James Michael McAdoo be the best player on this team, but he will be one of the best players in the country as well. He is an absolute monster, standing 6'9", and is very versatile.

Reggie Bullock quietly had a very solid year last season, averaging just under nine points a game, and grabbing just over five rebounds. He was overshadowed by some of the bigger names on the team, but that won't be the case this year, as he'll be one of the leaders and most experienced players.

P.J. Hairston should emerge as a dangerous scoring threat this season, as he bided his time as a freshman and served as a backup last season.

Both Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald will be returning from injury and should give this team a boost.

The freshmen that Carolina are bringing in is really an interesting group; there are four very solid players arriving, but none are necessarily great.

With that being said, plenty of those players, if not all of them, will see playing time because of their size. Joel James is an absolute monster at center, standing 6'10" and weighing 260 pounds, and Brice Johnson is a force down low as well, standing 6'9".

J.P. Tokoto is a very versatile wing player with both size and scoring ability who will probably see time as well.

It will be interesting to see if Marcus Paige can step in and start right away at point guard for the departed Marshall.

Statistically, Carolina was the best rebounding team in the country last year, and there's no reason they won't be one of the best yet again this year.

What makes this game so intriguing is the size of Carolina down low going up against Indiana's equally loaded frontcourt.

Not only are 6'11" Cody Zeller and 6'9" Christian Watford both back, but freshmen Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Perea will also be added to the mix. Both freshmen stand 6'8".

Indiana is bringing in a little bit of everything with their incoming freshmen. Hollowell and Perea obviously provide size, while Yogi Ferrell is a guy who can come in and start from day one and play point guard.

He'll certainly face competition, even with Verdell Jones gone, as both Jordan Hulls and Victor Oladipo have played some point. Indiana is so deep that a guy like Oladipo could end up being a backup this year.

As of right now, I think it's fair to call Indiana the deepest team in the country, an honor that Syracuse held last season.

Will Sheehey, Derek Elston and Remy Abell will all probably be backups, yet they have the ability to start for most teams.

So who wins this one? It's way too early to make a prediction, but I have no doubt that it will be tightly contested and come down to the wire. It could have the feel of last year's home game against Kentucky, except for the fact that Indiana will probably be the favorite this time.

Kentucky was ranked No. 1 for the majority of last season, but unlike Indiana in 2012-2013, the Wildcats were the clear-cut No. 1 team in the country.

This is why the 2012-2013 season looks to be so exciting; parody should be at an all time high, as no team is heads and tails above everybody else.

We'll get a better feel of where the Hoosiers stand after this battle of traditional powers, as it looks to be another great season of college basketball.