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,

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

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.

North Carolina came up short against BYU, 78-76, in Salt Lake City in an exhibition that highlighted both promise and concern for the Tar Heels. The contest saw

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.

The Cougars are officially 0-0 before opening the season a week from Monday against Villanova in Las Vegas, but pulled back their first unofficial win of the season.

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 took down North Carolina 78–76 in an exhibition matchup Friday night in Salt Lake City, thanks to a clutch defensive stop from Keba Keita, who denied North Carolina’s Seth Trimble at the buzzer.