Although Larry Fedora has done a great job capturing the attention of the Tar Heel faithful during the fall, the fact remains that most of Chapel Hill divides the year into two distinct parts: basketball season and waiting for basketball season.
With the release of the annual Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason Top 25 on Tuesday, it’s safe to proclaim that basketball season is almost here.
Despite losing senior fan favorites Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige, the Tar Heels were ranked No. 7.
Led by a group of juniors that includes Joel Berry, Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson–as well as senior big men Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks–UNC should again boast an experienced lineup filled with talent.
The real discussion about talent begins, though, when comparing the Tar Heels to the nation’s No. 1 team in the poll–the Duke Blue Devils.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has the top recruiting class in America in Durham this year, to go along with a lineup that returns junior guard Grayson Allen, sharpshooter Luke Kennard and senior forward Amile Jefferson.
Once again, it appears the road to an ACC title could be determined by the Duke-UNC rivalry.
Louisville (No. 8) and Virginia (No. 10) give the ACC four teams ranked among the top 10.
Both the Cardinals and Cavaliers will likely play a major factor in the chase to be the top team in the conference–serving as the top threats to the Tar Heels and Blue Devils.
Florida State (No. 20) and NC State (No. 23) round out the league’s top 25 selections.
No other conference had as many teams chosen as the ACC’s six.
Blue Ribbon Preseason Top 25
1. Duke
2. Oregon
3. Kansas
4. Kentucky
5. Villanova
6. Wisconsin
7. North Carolina
8. Louisville
9. Purdue
10. Virginia
11. Michigan State
12. Xavier
13. Arizona
14. Gonzaga
15. Connecticut
16. Butler
17. Saint Mary’s
18. Indiana
19. Creighton
20. Florida State
21. West Virginia
22. UCLA
23. NC State
24. Maryland
25. Rhode Island
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