The reigning men’s basketball national champions will begin the 2017-18 campaign ranked No. 9 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, which was released Thursday for the first time this season.
Led by returning players Joel Berry, Theo Pinson and Luke Maye, the Tar Heels have enough experience at most positions to compete for a third straight trip to the Final Four.
Head coach Roy Williams does have a massive project on his hands, however, when it comes to the Tar Heel big men–a group consisting of four unproven freshmen who came to campus without much recruiting fanfare.
UNC’s most hated rival–the Duke Blue Devils–sit atop the first edition of the coaches poll, as they bring in yet another extremely talented freshman class.
Rounding out the top five is a list that includes: No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Kentucky and No. 5 Arizona.
Including UNC and Duke, the ACC has five teams ranked in the top 25.
Miami checks in just behind the Tar Heels at No. 12, while Notre Dame (No. 14) and Louisville (No. 16) round out the list.
For the full USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, click here.
Photo via Todd Melet
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