UNC falls out of AP men’s basketball poll

By R.L. Bynum

With North Carolina one of eight teams in last week’s Top 25 men’s basketball poll to lose, there figured to be a lot of shuffling. The changes dropped the Tar Heels, who were No. 17 a week ago, out of this week’s poll with the 28th-most poll points.

It’s the first time this season that UNC isn’t ranked after rising to No. 14 on Nov. 30.

The Tar Heels (5–3, 0–1 ACC), who lost at N.C. State 79–76 on Wednesday in their only game last week, and visit Georgia Tech (4–3, 0–1) at 8 p.m. Wednesday (regional sports networks, MASN).

Other ranked teams losing last week were Iowa (was No. 4 but now No. 10 after a 102–95 overtime loss to Minnesota), West Virginia (was No. 7 but now No. 9 after a 79–65 loss to Kansas), Rutgers (was No. 11 but now No. 14 after an 80–68 loss to Ohio State), Michigan State (was No. 12 but No. 17 after an 85–76 loss to Wisconsin), Xavier (was No. 22 but now unranked after a 66–61 loss to Creighton) and Ohio State (was No. 23 but now No. 25 after a 71–70 loss to Northwestern).

ESPN’s Dick Vitale ranked UNC the highest at No. 17. Fifty-one voters left the Tar Heels off their ballots.

None of the three North Carolina voters — Ethan Joyce of the Winston-Salem Journal, Lauren Brownlow of WRALSportsFan.com or Luke DeCock of The News & Observer — had the Tar Heels on their ballots

AP Top 25

Others receiving votes: Xavier 178, San Diego State 172, North Carolina 57, Arkansas 55, Clemson 50, Colorado 50, Saint Louis 49, Florida 20, Louisville 18, BYU 12, Georgia 10, North Carolina State 8, UCLA 4, Indiana 4, Richmond 3, UCF 2, Western Kentucky 2, Boise State 2, SMU 1, Chattanooga 1, Drake 1

Pool photo by Ethan Hyman

Leave a comment