​College basketball is officially back! On Monday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels officially begin their Michael Malone era with a 7 p.m. tip-off against Western Carolina.UNC experienced mixed results across its three preseason games. North Carolina won comfortably in Malone’s coaching debut, beating the Top-25 USC Trojans 88-70 on October 9 in Greensboro, then losing by 18 at Indiana and needing overtime to beat Charlotte on October 27.WCU won each of its two preseason games, winning by seven at App State and dominating USC Upstate by 30. The Catamounts, who play in the Southern Conference with teams like Wofford and UNC-Greensboro, are looking for their first winning season in three years.The Tar Heels tasked Malone with re-shaping their entire roster from a season ago, an offseason assignment he thoroughly exceeded expectations with. Malone landed three experienced, Power Four transfers in Terrence Brown, Matt Able and Neo Avdalas, all of whom are expected to start Monday night. Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis and Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson stayed, while Sayon Keita headlines a deep, unproven frontcourt. Maximo Adams leads North Carolina’s 3-man recruiting class, which includes Malloy Smith and former LSU commit Kevin Thomas.Western Carolina enters Year Three of the Tim Craft era, hoping for a SoCon tournament title and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996. The Catamounts lost their top three scorers from a season ago, making that postseason task far from east.If you’re in Chapel Hill today, make college basketball a part of your evening plans. If you’re watching this clash on TV, your favorite streaming device, listening on the radio or somewhere else, keep reading below for more information.Stream UNC vs. Western CarolinaWhat channel is North Carolina vs. Western Carolina on Monday night? Time, TV schedule, radioTV Channel: ACC NetworkTime: 7 p.m. ETRadio: SiriusXM (Channel 258)Website: WatchESPNWhere to watch UNC-WCU basketball on live streamStream UNC-WCU basketballUNC vs. WCU prediction, picks, oddsThe Tar Heels have a golden chance in front of their home crowd on Monday night, welcoming a historically mediocre Western Carolina team. The Catamounts won both their preseason games, though, while North Carolina delivered mixed results across three exhibitions.UNC will start slow, like it typically does against lesser competition. These new-look Tar Heels have a sizable talent advantage and, unlike their 2025-26 squad, depth.North Carolina wins in blowout fashion for a positive start in the Malone era.Score prediction: UNC 78, WCU 62All College Basketball Odds via BetMGMSPREAD: UNC (-22.5)TOTAL O/U: 155.5MONEYLINE: UNC (-10000)UNC men’s basketball 2026-27 scheduleOctober 9: Exhibition vs. USC Trojans in Greensboro, N.C. (W, 88-70)Oct. 18: Exhibition at Indiana Hoosiers in Indianapolis (L, 76-58)Oct. 27: Exhibition vs. Charlotte (W, 89-82 in OT)November 2: Season opener vs. Western Carolina (7 p.m.)Nov. 6: vs. Wofford (7 p.m.