Carolina will take on defending national champions Connecticut in the Jimmy V Classic next season. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in New York. The news was first reported in May and then confirmed by the program on Monday afternoon. The game is scheduled for December 5 and will be broadcast on ESPN, with a tip-off time yet to be announced.

The meeting will be the first between the Tar Heels and Huskies since the 2004-05 season, when Carolina won 77-70 on the road. UNC holds a 5-1 record against Connecticut since 1949 and has won each of the last three games. Two memorable meetings between the programs include a 75-64 UNC win in the 1998 Elite Eight and an 86-83 UNC upset win against the No. 1 Huskies (who would go on to win the national championship) in Chapel Hill in 2004.

The game will also mark a visit to Madison Square Garden for the second straight season for the Tar Heels. Carolina earned an overtime victory against Ohio State in the World’s Most Famous Arena as part of last season’s CBS Sports Classic. Hubert Davis, who played in the venue professionally with the New York Knicks, has expressed his desire to play a game in New York every season he is head coach of the Tar Heels.

“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 against Ohio State, so we know the atmosphere will be something special.”

Connecticut dominated the NCAA Tournament this past spring, winning every game by double figures. Ironically, the last team to do that was Carolina in 2009. Davis is 1-0 in his young head coaching career against a defending national champion, having upset Baylor in the second round of 2022 NCAA Tournament.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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