UNC men's basketball, preseason ranked No. 25, enters the Delta Center, the home arena of the NBA's Utah Jazz, to square off in an exhibition with BYU Cougars,

UNC was downed 98-96 on a failed final play of the game. Here is how social media felt about the Tar Heels' first showing this season.

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives the ball toward the basket while guarded by North Carolina guard Seth Trimble (7) during an NCAA men’s basketball exhibition game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. BYU basketball closed out the preseason with a win.

Though the outcome does not count in the standings, there are lessons to be learned for North Carolina after a narrow 78-76 loss to BYU in its exhibition game i

In the end, what was originally billed as just a preseason exhibition, felt much more like late-February hoops than an October tune-up. BYU’s narrow victory over North Carolina offered fans and scouts alike a glimpse into the future of basketball itself, headlined by two stars who already seem to play beyond their years.

For BYU: Wing AJ Dybantsa, the Cougars’ highest-rated recruit of all time, had 30 points and seven rebounds while shooting 52.6% from the field in the loss to Nebraska in his first game in a BYU jersey. Guard Richie Saunders is a first-team All-Big 12 performer who averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

UNC basketball showed promise and areas for improvement in its exhibition matchup against BYU. Here are three key takeaways from the Tar Heels’ preseason test.

UNC will travel to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City to face No. 8 BYU for its first exhibition game of the preseason Friday night.

AJ Dybantsa scored 18 points to lead the No. 8 BYU Cougars to an exhibition win over No. 25 North Carolina on Friday night.