By R.L. Bynum
Carolina is ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll for the 20th consecutive season, but at its lowest position during that span.
The Tar Heels will begin head coach Hubert Davis’ fifth season ranked No. 25, marking the lowest preseason ranking in program history when UNC has made the poll. The previous low was No. 20 in 1995–96; that team finished the season ranked No. 25.
Carolina will face one ranked opponent in an exhibition — No. 8 BYU on Oct. 24 in Salt Lake City — and five ranked teams during the regular season:
— No. 6 Duke (Feb. 7 and March 7)
— No. 9 Kentucky (Dec. 2 on the road)
— No. 11 Louisville (Feb. 23 at home)
— No. 19 Kansas (Nov. 7 at home)
— No. 22 Michigan State (Nov. 27 in Fort Myers, Fla.)
Carolina has only been ranked in the final poll once in the last six years, when it was No. 7 and earned a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
The last time UNC wasn’t ranked in the preseason poll was the season after it won the 2005 national championship in 2005–06, when it had the 35th-most votes. The Tar Heels made the poll on Dec. 5 at No. 23, were No. 10 in the final poll and were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament (losing in the second round to George Mason).
UNC’s 104 poll points were the fewest when it made the poll since only getting 56 on March 7, 2022, when it was also No. 25. N.C. State just missed making the poll, with three fewer poll points than the Tar Heels.
Voting the Tar Heels the highest at No. 18 were WRAL’s Chris Lea, Andy Greder of the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press and Scott Richey of The News-Gazette in Champaign, Ill. Kate Rogerson of WTVD voted UNC No. 25. Twenty-six voters left Carolina off of their ballots.
In the preseason KenPom rankings, the Tar Heels are No. 33, with three ACC teams ahead of them: No. 7 Duke, No. 14 Louisville and No. 32 Clemson.
AP Preseason Top 25
Others receiving votes: N.C. State 101, Oregon 98, San Diego State 74, Texas 35, Ohio State 23, Kansas State 13, Ole Miss 11, USC 10, Missouri 8, Washington 7, Vanderbilt 7, Iowa 6, Boise State 4, Mississippi State 3, VCU 2, Saint Mary’s 2, Virginia 2, Baylor 1, Oklahoma 1, Indiana 1
UNC’s preseason poll history since 2000
| Season | Preseason | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 6 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | 19 | — |
| 2002–03 | — | — |
| 2003–04 | 9 | 18 |
| 2004–05 | 4 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | — | 12 |
| 2006–07 | 2 | 4 |
| 2007–08 | 1 | ` |
| 2008–09 | 1 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | 6 | — |
| 2010–11 | 8 | 7 |
| 2011–12 | 1 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | 11 | — |
| 2013–14 | 12 | 19 |
| 2014–15 | 6 | 15 |
| 2015–16 | 1 | 3 |
| 2016–17 | 6 | 6 |
| 2017–18 | 9 | 10 |
| 2018–19 | 8 | 3 |
| 2019–20 | 9 | — |
| 2020–21 | 16 | — |
| 2021–22 | 19 | — |
| 2022–23 | 1 | — |
| 2023–24 | 19 | 7 |
| 2024–25 | 9 | — |
| 2025–26 | 25 | ? |
| Date | Time/ scores | Month/day | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | W, 88–70 | Friday | vs. No. 21 USC in Greensboro | |
| 18 | L, 76–58 | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | |
| 27 | 7:30 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | ACCN Extra |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 12 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. No. 23 Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at No. 11 Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 9 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 3 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 11 Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 2 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 14 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 2 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo by Joshua Lawton
1 Comment