Carolina men’s basketball will enter the 2015-2016 season ranked first in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The preseason poll was released Monday.

This is the ninth time that UNC has been named the top team in the country heading into a new season and the first time since the 2011-2012 season.

This marks the fourth time that Carolina has been ranked number one during Roy Williams’ 13 years leading the program.

Williams said in a press release, “I do feel like we’re going to be a good basketball team. I’m excited for our kids, because this is one of the best groups that I’ve ever worked with.”

Williams went on to say the team was “disappointed” after making a “nice run” in last year’s NCAA Tournament adding, “hopefully we will us that as fuel to be the best team we can be this year. There are so many good teams, I don’t see how anybody could pick just one to be No. 1 at this point in the season. But it’s certainly nice to be one of those teams under consideration.”

The Tar Heels are followed by Kentucky, Maryland, Kansas and Duke in the top five. Fellow ACC opponent Virginia checks in at number six. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will start the year ranked 19.

Carolina will host Guilford in an exhibition game on Friday, November 6, at the Dean E. Smith Center. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30.

Regular season play for the Tar Heels begins on November 13 against Temple at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., as part of the Veterans Day Classic.

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