UNC 2020 Basketball Schedule: Predictions for Tar Heels' Season Matchups

Fans in Chapel Hill won't have to wait much longer to get their first look at what the 2020-21 North Carolina Tar Heels look like on the court. 

The ACC unveiled its schedule Tuesday, with the 16th-ranked Tar Heels opening conference play Dec. 22 at PNC Arena against North Carolina State. 

North Carolina is also among the eight teams included in the field for the 2020 Maui Invitational. It will play UNLV on Nov. 30 in the opening game of that tournament. 

2020-21 North Carolina Schedule (Prediction)

Nov. 30: vs. UNLV, Maui Invitational

Dec. 1: TBD, Maui Invitational

Dec. 2: TBD, Maui Invitational

Dec. 22: at North Carolina State (Win)

Dec. 29/30: at Georgia Tech (Win)

Jan. 2: vs. Syracuse (Loss)

Jan. 5/6: at Miami (Win)

Jan. 9: vs. Clemson (Win)

Jan. 16: at No. 21 Florida State (Loss)

Jan. 19/20: vs. Wake Forest (Loss)

Jan. 23: vs. North Carolina State (Win)

Jan. 26/27: at Pittsburgh (Win)

Jan. 30: vs. Notre Dame (Win)

Feb. 2/3: at Clemson (Win)

Feb. 6: at No. 9 Duke (Loss)

Feb. 8: vs. Miami (Win)

Feb. 13: at No. 4 Virginia (Loss) 

Feb. 16/17: vs. Virginia Tech (Win)

Feb. 20: vs. Louisville (Win)

Feb. 23/24: at Boston College (Win)

Feb. 27: vs. No. 21 Florida State (Win)

March 1: at Syracuse (Win)

March 6: vs. No. 9 Duke (Loss)

Predicted conference record: 14-6

One reason Tar Heels fans can't wait to get this season started is to wash the bad taste out of their mouths from a disappointing 2019-20 campaign. The team finished 14-19 overall (6-14 in ACC, tied with Pittsburgh and Wake Forest for last place). 

In 32 seasons as a head coach between Kansas and North Carolina, Roy Williams had never posted a losing record until last year. It was also the worst single-season record for the Tar Heels since 2001-02 when they finished 8-20 under Matt Doherty. 

Despite those struggles last year and the departure of leading scorer Cole Anthony, who declared for the 2020 NBA draft in April, there is a sense of optimism that North Carolina will get back on track. 

Garrison Brooks, Leaky Black and Armando Bacot are returning starters. Brooks finished second on the team in scoring (16.8 points per game) and led the team in rebounding (8.6). 

In addition to those veteran players, Williams and his coaching staff had one of the nation's best recruiting classes. 

Per 247Sports composite rankings, North Carolina's freshman class ranks second behind the Kentucky Wildcats. The six-man recruiting class includes three 5-star prospects and three 4-star prospects.

Caleb Love is the crown jewel of the group as the No. 14 overall prospect, but he's followed closely by Day'Ron Sharpe (No. 15) and Walker Kessler (No. 22).

Love could be the difference between another rough season and a potential championship team in North Carolina. One of the Tar Heels' biggest flaws in 2019-20 was outside shooting; they finished tied for 313th in the nation with a 30.4 percent three-point percentage. 

Travis Branham of 247Sports wrote in April that Love's stock was rising because of his improved shooting touch:

"Next, given his versatility and innate scoring ability, he is also a threat off the ball primarily as a slasher but he’s becoming much more of a threat with his consistently-improving shooting ability from three. Love is already more than capable of making shots from three but is still streaky, somewhat due to his shot selection and reliance to score for his high school team."

Williams' system is built on having players who need to shoot from behind the arc to succeed, but it does add an element that was sorely missing last season as the Tar Heels struggled to find consistency. 

There's a strong mix of young and veteran talent on this year's roster that should keep North Carolina in the mix for a conference title, even though it is looking up at Virginia and Duke in the preseason polls.