UNC Basketball Outside Top 10 in Latest Projected Rankings

Experts have placed UNC basketball as high as No. 3 in recent weeks, as the Tar Heels earned a slight bump in some projected preseason rankings with the recent addition of former Vanderbilt forward Ven-Allen Lubin via the transfer portal.

But the latest “way-too-early” top 25 courtesy of On3’s James Fletcher III on Tuesday has the program at No 11 for Hubert Davis’ fourth year at the helm, below only No. 5 Duke among ACC schools. No. 18 Clemson is the only other team from the conference in Fletcher’s top 25.

His top four are Alabama, Houston, Kansas, and defending back-to-back national champion UConn, respectively.

The departures from Chapel Hill are notable, including three 2023-24 Tar Heel starters in Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan, and Armando Bacot. Moreover, only 11 scholarship talents are currently on tap, and many folks are of the opinion that UNC is still missing a formidable center.

That said, one could argue that On3 isn’t sufficiently rewarding the Tar Heels for welcoming back a starting backcourt that features the reigning ACC Player of the Year in RJ Davis and ACC All-Rookie Team performer Elliot Cadeau. And that’s not to mention several key UNC basketball reserves from last season in guard Seth Trimble, forward Jae’Lyn Withers, and big man Jalen Washington.

Plus, Lubin isn’t the only quality newcomer. He joins former Belmont sharpshooter Cade Tyson, who is the younger brother of recent Clemson star Hunter Tyson, and a trio of incoming freshmen highlighted by five-star McDonald’s All-American sensations Ian Jackson and Drake Powell.

Before ultimately falling to Alabama in the Sweet 16, Hubert Davis’ third Tar Heel bunch (29-8 overall record) finished atop the ACC regular season standings at 17-3 in conference play and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UNC ranked No. 7 in the season’s final AP Poll.

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