If Carolina can survive the early schedule, it should help later.

Hubert Davis may make some subtle changes in how the Tar Heels play basketball, but he will continue where and who they play non-conference games in the molds of Dean Smith and Roy Williams.

Although the full schedule has been out for weeks, the preseason Associated Press poll shows just how hard the 2021-22 Tar Heels will have it before finishing with the last 19 straight of their 20-game ACC slate. They open ACC play at Georgia Tech on December 5.

That Carolina is No. 19 in the AP poll proves how daunting the task will be against non-conference competition. Smith and Williams never shied away from playing tough games early to help them get ready for the ACC season and, hopefully, the post season.

Including ACC foes Duke, Florida State and Virginia, the Tar Heels are scheduled to play eight teams this season that are ranked in the preseason top 25 and at least five against top-10 opponents.

Certainly, there are easier games to build confidence and the record, such as home dates with Loyola of Maryland, Brown, UNC-Asheville, Elon, Furman and Appalachian State. But that doesn’t guarantee winning all of them, plus don’t forget the always-tough true road challenge at College of Charleston.

Carolina has four games against higher-ranked teams, from No. 2 UCLA in Las Vegas, to No. 6 Michigan here in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, to No. 7 Purdue in the Hall of Fame Tip-off Classic, to either No. 4 Villanova or No. 18 Tennessee in the second game of the tourney in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The AP poll probably assures one streak continues, that UNC has been ranked for at least one week during the season every year since 1967. This is the 929th AP poll that includes Carolina, more than any other school in poll’s history. For the 65th time in 74 years the AP has been doing it, the Tar Heels have been ranked for at least one week.

When strength of schedule ratings come out, Carolina’s will be among the toughest. The preseason polls are tricky for a No. 19 pick, which has a chance to climb in the rankings by pulling an upset or two, but also disappear from the top 25 all together and have to fight their way back in once ACC play gets going full throttle.

 

Photo via UNC Athletics Communication.

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