NCAA Men's Basketball Game of the Week: No. 1 Kansas vs No. 9 North Carolina

Any chance two blue bloods get a chance to match up early on in the season, it is going to get a lot of eyes on the game. It’s typically the first test for both teams and this game is no different.

Kansas has reloaded and may just have the deepest roster in the entire country. The Jayhawks have been rewarded for their reloading ability with the No. 1 overall ranking in the preseason.

On the other side, North Carolina has also reloaded a bit and has maintained one of the best rosters which has allowed them to have a preseason top-10 ranking.

The matchup will be between two of the Naismith National Player of the Year candidates and two preseason first-team All-Americans.

North Carolina’s R.J. Davis and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson. Both players are in their final year of eligibility and are two of the best players in the country.

Davis scored 24 points in the Tar Heels’ opening game and has already solidified himself as one of the most dangerous scorers in the entire country.

Dickinson had 16 points with six rebounds in the Jayhawks’ opening matchup. Both teams took home victories and will face off against each other both 1-0.

The depth of both teams will be on showcase in the matchup Friday.

Kansas reloaded with guys like A.J. Storr coming over from Wisconsin and Zeke Mayo proving that he can score with the best in his first game as a Jayhawk after playing three years at South Dakota State.

Storr and Mayo are going to combine to give every defense problems while still allowing one of the best big men in the country in Dickinson get his scoring.

North Carolina is more of an experienced team through its own building. Jae’Lyn Withers in his second season as a Tar Heel and looks to be a force down low for one of the best teams in the country.

Additionally, Elliot Cadeau is the playmaking guard that North Carolina needs to be able to get every player the ball in their hands. Cadeau is looking to take the next step after a decent season in his first season as an early enrollee at UNC.

This is going to be a matchup of blue bloods and the fact that fans are getting to see it this early in the season is the icing on top.

Both teams have Final Four and National Championship hopes but an early test for the squads will be something that everyone looks back to when March hits.

The main advantage in this matchup is the fact it is being played on Kansas’ home court. The game will take place in Lawrence, Kansas, rather than a neutral site that is typically seen throughout these early big time matchups.

The environment created by the Kansas crowd while chanting “Rock Chalk” will be something to keep an eye on. It will be interesting to see how UNC responds to a hostile environment, especially this early in the season. The Tar Heels may be a veteran team but they still won’t have the connection that teams typically have later on in the season.

Andrew Deal is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email asd5765@psu.edu.