CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The College of Charleston Men's Basketball team will take on #1 North Carolina tomorrow night at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET with the contest airing on Bally Sports and affiliates.  Fans can also listen live on the Varsity App with Everett German.

STORYLINES

• The Cougars travel to Chapel Hill to take on the #1 North Carolina Tar Heels.
• The two programs met almost one year ago on November 16, 2021 when the Tar Heels escaped TD Arena with the 94-83 victory. The Cougars held a 42-36 edge at the break.
• Now sophomores Reyne Smith (19) and Ben Burnham (17) paced the scoring for CofC. Returners Babacar Faye and Charles Lampten joined Smith in the starting five while Raekwon Horton earned nine minutes off the bench.
• CofC last defeated UNC on 1-4-2010 at the former Carolina First Arena. The Tar Heels have since won three straight.
• Smith picked up his sophomore season right where he left off, dropping 24 points in the Cougars 85-78 season-opening victory over 2022 SoCon champion Chattanooga on Monday night in Charleston. The Aussie was 5-for-10 from behind the arc and 7-for-13 from the field.
• NAIA transfer Jaylon Scott impressed Our City, totaling 11 points and five rebounds. Scott knocked down a clutch three with just over two minutes remaining to separate the Cougars from the Mocs down the stretch.
• The #1 Tar Heels opened the season against a familiar opponent for the Cougs in CAA rival UNCW. UNC won the contest over the Seahawks 69-56. ? RJ Davis and Caleb Love had a matching 17 points to lead the Tar Heels with Armando Bacot adding 16.
• Bacot posted a double-double to lead all scorers in the Cougars and Tar Heels 2021 battle with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
• The Seahawks outshot the national finalists from three-point range 25.0% to 20.0%.
• UNCW eliminated CofC from the 2022 CAA Tournament in the semifinal round with a narrow 60-57 victory.

SIGNING DAY SUCCESS

• The Cougars are bringing in the 40th ranked 2023 class by 247sports.com with the signings of Isaiah Coleman, James Scott and Mayar Wol.
• 247sports has Coleman ranked 58 in the class with Wol at 163.
• Kelsey on 2023 class - "Our vision of building an elite program starts with elite talent. The talented core group of players we have here now combined with this class puts us in a position to grow. We say OUR CITY because we want to do something great TOGETHER as a city and as a basketball program. Charleston took a big step with this class."

POWER FROM THE PORTAL

• The coaching staff added impact experience during the off-season with the addition of three graduate transfers in Ryan Larson, Jaylon Scott and Robinson III in addition to returning grad transfer Dalton Bolon from the 2021-22 season.
• Larson, the only Division I transfer, played 120 games during a four-year career at Wofford. Kelsey on Larson - "Ryan will bring a savvy veteran presence to Our City. He's a proven winner and brings it every night on both ends with a team-first mentality and leaves it all on the floor. Ryan personifies our culture in everything he does on and off the court and will be a special part of the program."
• Last season's NAIA National Player of the Year Runner-Up Scott brings a physical presence at the guard position. Kelsey on the two-time All-American - "He can pass and score like a guard, but his size, physicality and rebounding is that of a forward. 'Versatile' describes him best for sure. Jaylon can guard multiple positions as well which is an extremely valuable skill."
• Robinson III comes from the Division II ranks. The combo guard was a two-time All-Mountain East Conference First-Team selection, a 2022 All-Atlantic Region honoree, a two-time NABC All-District selection and the 2022 MEC Tournament MVP. Kelsey on Robinson III - "He's proven he can score at an elite level and competes with toughness and tenacity every possession. He fits our culture like a glove and his leadership will impact us on the court, but more importantly in the locker room and in our community."
• Ante Brzovic is the only transfer not associated with the word grad. The 6-10 Croatian comes from Division II Southeastern Oklahoma State and brings dimension that will be a separator in the Cougars lineup. Kelsey on Brzovic - "His combination of size, skill and basketball IQ make him a very dangerous player but to me, his ability to rebound at an elite level is his separator. He presents a tough matchup for opponents with his skill set and we're looking forward to him joining this movement happening in Our City."

HOW TO WATCH

• Cougars fans can watch live on the Bally Sports family of networks. Availability based on region is listed below:

            Bally Sports South
            Bally Sports Sun
            Bally Sports Midwest
            YES
            NESN Plus
            MASN
            Marquee
            Bally Sports Great Lakes
            Bally Sports Southwest Extra
            Bally Sports West
            Bally Sports app in each Bally Sports region carrying the game
        Bally Sports+ with Bally Sports South package (free seven-day trial in AL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) or Bally Sports Florida package (free seven-day trial in FL)
 
Channel Listings in Southeast territory (check local listings for channels) - https://www.ballysports.com/south/news/acc-channel-listings

UP NEXT

• The Cougars will face defending Atlantic 10 champion Richmond on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in TD Arena. Gameday reminders and more information can be found here.