When North Carolina and Kansas basketball square off, it’s more than just a basketball game — it's a meeting of two blue bloods with an intertwined past. On Friday night, that shared history set the stage for an electric Allen Fieldhouse, where the top-ranked Jayhawks greeted No. 9 North Carolina in what would become an instant classic.
It was the first real test for both teams, who played a tune-up in the season opener. Although it is an early matchup, a win would have looked great on either school's postseason resume. The Tar Heels put up a good fight in the Phog, but it was not enough to overcome KU on its home court. Bill Self and Co. prevailed 92-89 in a thriller that came down to the wire.
Kansas basketball picks up marquee win over No. 9 North Carolina
It took a while for Kansas to get settled in, but the offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half. A 10-0 run gave the Jayhawks a lead as large as 20 points, and they went into the break winning by 15 points. Things didn't go nearly as smoothly in the ensuing 20 minutes.
UNC slowly chipped away at KU's lead in the second half, all the way until a layup delivered the Tar Heels an 80-79 lead with over seven minutes to play. After some sloppy offensive possessions, it seemed that Kansas was going to blow it. However, what Hunter Dickinson later described as 'Phog Allen magic' kicked in toward the closing stages.
Dickinson hit a layup to put the Jayhawks up 91-89. UNC's Jalen Washington missed a 3-pointer, Dickinson hit one free throw, and Elliot Cadeau missed a potential game-tying three as time expired. Kansas did just enough to move to 2-0 on the year.
The second unit had it going tonight. Zeke Mayo had yet another outstanding performance off the bench, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting. AJ Storr broke out of his slump and played crucial minutes down the stretch, posting 13 points and three assists.
An important factor throughout the contest was RJ Davis' shooting struggles. Mayo played terrific defense on the All-American guard, who shot an underwhelming 3-for-15 from the floor. The Tar Heels as a whole did most of their damage from the free throw line, connecting on 28-of-31 charity stripe attempts.
There was certainly puzzling decision-making in the second half that tied the Jayhawk faithful's stomach in a knot. Regardless, Kansas got the best of its fellow blue blood in a game that will be remembered for a long time. The team should maintain its No. 1 ranking heading into Tuesday's clash in the Champions Classic against Michigan State.