UNC Basketball Headed To Cherokee After All For Scrimmage, Autograph Session

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Hubert Davis had plans last year to bring the Tar Heels to Cherokee for their annual Blue-White scrimmage, but damages in the area due to the impact of Hurricane Helene forced North Carolina to move the game back to Chapel Hill.

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Last year at ACC Tipoff, Davis said that he would try to get the Tar Heels on the move again in the preseason.

“I’m looking forward to next year going to a number of different places,” Davis said back in October in Charlotte. “I think it’s good for our guys. I think it’s good for the state, and it’s something that we’re excited about growing and seeing how it evolves over the years.”

A year later, UNC is making its way to Cherokee after all. The Tar Heels will take part in events there on Oct. 17 & 18, the school announced Tuesday. Through the school’s Old Well Management collective, UNC’s players and coaches will take part in a meet-and-greet and dinner with fans on Oct. 17 at Harrah’s Resort (tickets here). The following day, the Tar Heels will participate in an autograph session at Cherokee High School and play a scrimmage at the school inside Charles George Memorial Arena (tickets here).

Admission for the dinner is $100 per person, and admission into the autograph session and scrimmage is $25 per person. There will not be any separate ticket sales for the scrimmage after the autograph session.

“When I was in school at the end of the season, we would do a lot of barnstorming events, and we would play a number of games throughout the state of North Carolina,” Davis said last year. “I still get people today talking about those times of being able to see Carolina players just play up close in their local high school or auditorium, and it gives our program an opportunity to be able to do that throughout the state now.”

North Carolina will play its annual Blue-White scrimmage at the Smith Center on Saturday, starting about 60 minutes after the football team’s home game against Clemson. The football game is scheduled to kick off at noon.

UNC’s roster features 10 new scholarship players comprised of transfers, freshmen and an overseas addition.

Hubert Davis and his staff brought in West Virginia wing Jonathan Powell, Arizona center Henri Veesaar, Colorado State guard Kyan Evans, Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson, Virginia Tech guard Jaydon Young and High Point center Ivan Matlekovic through the transfer portal.

The highly touted Caleb Wilson along with guards Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis are the team’s freshmen. Luka Bogavac, who the team signed out of Montenegro, will play his first season of college basketball.

Seth Trimble and James Brown are the holdovers from last year’s team. Zayden High rejoins the team after not being on the roster last season. High played his freshman season with the Tar Heels during the 2023-24 campaign.

UNC will play two preseason exhibition games: one on the road vs. BYU on Oct. 24 and another against Winston-Salem State at home on Oct. 29. It will open the regular season against Central Arkansas on Nov. 3.

UNC finished the season with a 23-14 record. After sneaking into the NCAA Tournament and winning its First Four game against San Diego State, the team lost to Ole Miss 71-64 in the Round of 64. Hubert Davis is 101-45 in his four seasons as North Carolina’s head coach.