No. 16 North Carolina will take on No. 21 Louisville on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Dean Smith in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels are coming off of a 77-64 win over Syracuse in a bounceback game after its loss to NC State earlier in the week. It also marked the return of star big man Henri Veesaar who scored 19 points and had three blocks in his first game since Feb. 10. Seth Trimble ad Luka Bogavac both scored 13 points. Zayden High had nine points and a career-high 11 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
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Like UNC, Louisville is coming off a 1-1 week after losing to SMU in its midweek game and defeating Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Cardinals have one of the top offenses in the country, ranking 14th nationally in scoring offense (86.8 points per game), 21st in assists per game (17.8) and 21st in effective field-goal percentage (56.9).
Keep reading for our full game preview of North Carolina’s matchup with Louisville, including the Tar Heels’ keys to victory, what to watch, statistical leaders for each team, streaming information and the complete schedule.
Keys to Victory
Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) dunks during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Win the war in the paint
After recent struggles inside, North Carolina reversed course against Syracuse. The Tar Heels outscored the Orange 42-32 in the paint and held a 38-34 edge on the glass, finally flipping their frustrating frontcourt narrative.
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They now face one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Louisville leads the ACC in defensive rebounds (27.8, 17th nationally) and ranks second in total rebounds per game (39.4, 33rd nationally).
Against an elite interior team like the Cardinals, Carolina must win rebounding battles, generate efficient scoring inside and limit Louisville’s second-chance points.
What to Watch Out For
Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) drives to the basket as the Louisville Cardinals host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in an NCAA basketball game at the KFC Yum! Center, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Louisville.
UNC’s backcourt vs. Louisville’s backcourt.
North Carolina’s backcourt drew heavy criticism for its poor play against NC State, but the group bounced back in the win over Pitt.
Seth Trimble sparked the Tar Heels after the break, scoring all 13 of his points in the second half. Luka Bogavac, better known for his perimeter shooting, repeatedly attacked the lane, and Jonathan Powell buried a pair of transition 3-pointers before halftime. Derek Dixon’s shooting slump continued, but he steadied the offense with four assists and defended well, slowing Syracuse’s transition game.
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That group now faces a major test against one of the best backcourts in the country. Given UNC’s past struggles against top ACC backcourts, most recently NC State, it will be a key matchup to watch.
Louisville’s high-powered backcourt will challenge North Carolina. Freshman point guard Mikel Brown leads the Cardinals at 18.6 points and nearly five assists per game, approaching 20 points in ACC play while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3. Wings Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely add scoring punch, while 6-foot-6 J’Vonne Headley’s size, versatility and shooting at the 4 give Louisville a difficult matchup on the perimeter and in the paint.
Sixth man Adrian Wooley is averaging 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds off the bench. The Jacksonville State transfer was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after averaging nearly 19 points and 5.2 rebounds last season. Talk about a luxury to have off the bench.
Statistical leaders
Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Points
UNC: Caleb Wilson (19.8)
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Louisville: Mikel Brown (18.6)
Rebounds
UNC: Caleb Wilson (9.4)
Louisville: Sananda Fru (6.5)
Assists
UNC: Kyan Evans (2.7)
Louisville: Mikel Brown (4.9)
What you need to know
TarHeelsWire How to Watch
WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (21-6, 8-5 ACC) vs. Louisville (20-7, 9-5 ACC)
WHEN? Monday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. ET
WHERE? Dean Smith Center (21,750) in Chapel Hill
TV? ESPN
RADIO? SiriusXM (Channel 193)
LINE? Louisville -3.5
LAST MEETING? Louisville 83, North Carolina 70 on Jan. 1, 2025
ALL-TIME SERIES: North Carolina leads all-time series 20-8
UNC basketball 2025-26 schedule
Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) reacts after scoring against the NC State Wolfpack during the first half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
October 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
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Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
Nov. 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (W, 87-74)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (W, 89-74)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (W, 97-53)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (W, 73-61)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (W, 85-70)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (L, 74-58)
December 2: at Kentucky (W, 67-64)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (W, 81-61)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (W, 80-62)
Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (W, 77-58)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (W, 71-70)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (W, 99-51)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (W 79-66)
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January 3, 2026: at SMU (L 97-83)
Jan. 10, 2026: vs. Wake Forest (W 87-84)
Jan. 14, 2026: at Stanford (L 95-90)
Jan. 17, 2026: at California (L 84-78)
Jan. 21, 2026: vs. Notre Dame (W 90-69)
Jan. 24, 2026: at Virginia (W 85-80)
Jan. 31, 2026: at Georgia Tech (W 91-75.)
Feb. 2, 2026: vs. Syracuse (87-77)
Feb. 7, 2026: vs. Duke (W 71-68)
Feb. 10, 2026: at Miami (FL) (L 75-66)
Feb. 14, 2026: vs. Pitt (W 79-65)
Feb. 17, 2026: at NC State (L 82-58)
Feb. 21, 2026: at Syracuse (W 77-64)
Feb. 23, 2026: vs. Louisville (7 p.m.)
Feb. 28, 2026: vs. Virginia Tech (TBA)
March 3, 2026: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7, 2026: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
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March 10-14, 2026: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Louisville preview, game info and prediction
