When a college basketball game features the University of North Carolina, it’s typically the Tar Heels who sport a top-ranked team.
In the case on Thursday, Nov. 30, it’s the exact opposite.
While the UNC women are enjoying a solid start to their 2023-2024 campaign, sitting at 5-2 and ranked 24th in the latest AP Poll, their next opponent is perhaps the greatest in women’s college basketball.
You guessed it – South Carolina.
The Gamecocks, who sport the game’s best coach (Dawn Staley) and arguably most talented roster, will find themselves at Carmichael Arena on Thursday night as part of the newly-developed, ACC-SEC Challenge.
This game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
South Carolina, the 2017 and 2022 National Championships who our friends down south claim is the “real” Carolina, currently sits at 5-0. The Gamecocks have already beaten two ranked teams (18th-ranked Notre Dame, formerly 14th-ranked Maryland), plus they obliterated Mississippi Valley State on Thanksgiving Friday, 101-19.
The Tar Heels are facing a bit of heartbreak and a mini cold stretch, losing their past two to Kansas State and Florida Gulf Coast. They are led by returners Deja Kella and Alyssa Ustby, two of the best at their respective positions, plus they sport a few solid transfers in Maria Gakdeng, Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar.
While South Carolina is expected to win big, any rivalry game brings out the best in both teams. What can the real Carolina do in hopes of pulling off an upset?