Carolina is ranked No. 25 in the preseason edition of the AP Top 25 poll, which was released Monday. The preseason ranking is UNC’s lowest since being unranked to begin the 2005-06 season.
The Tar Heels bring in a host of new players this season after losing all five year-end starters from last season’s team. Senior guard Seth Trimble and sophomore forward James Brown are the only scholarship players to return from last season, though redshirt sophomore Zayden High is back on the team after sitting out the 2024-25 season.
From the transfer portal, UNC has added Jonathan Powell from West Virginia, Jaydon Young from Virginia Tech, Henri Veesaar from Arizona, Jarin Stevenson from Alabama, Kyan Evans from Colorado State and Ivan Matlekovic from High Point. That group is joined by three incoming freshmen: wing Derek Dixon, guard Isaiah Denis and forward Caleb Wilson. In addition, UNC added the services of Montenegrin national Luka Bogavac, who played professionally in Europe and will be classified as a junior on the Carolina roster.
Head coach Hubert Davis is entering his fifth season in charge of the program. This season will also be the first for general manager Jim Tanner, a UNC alumnus and former Morehead-Cain scholar who joined the program earlier this year to help handle recruiting negotiations with players and their agents.
Also representing the ACC are No. 6 Duke and No. 11 Louisville. For a full look at the AP Top 25 poll, click here.
In addition, Carolina was picked third in the preseason ACC poll, and Wilson was named preseason second team All-ACC. To look at the preseason ACC poll and preseason All-ACC teams, click here.
UNC will play two preseason exhibitions before beginning the regular season. The first of those two exhibitions will come against No. 8 BYU in Salt Lake City. The game is scheduled for Friday, October 24 at 9 p.m. Eastern time and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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