National title odds for the 2019-20 college basketball season have been released and UNC has been given favorable betting odds by major sports books.

Virginia, the defending national champions, are listed as the favorites with 5-1 odds. After being the first No. 1 seed in history to lose to a No. 16 seed, the Cavaliers rebounded this season with a 85-77 overtime win over Texas Tech in the national title game on Monday evening.

https://twitter.com/lindetrain/status/1115357743148199942

North Carolina has been given 20-1 odds for the 2019-20 national title in these early rankings. The Tar Heels share the same odds as Michigan and Auburn, but are behind Virginia, Duke (8-1), Kentucky (8-1), Gonzaga (10-1), Michigan State (12-1), Louisville (15-1), and Villanova (15-1).

The Tar Heels are losing several key players from this year’s squad. Seniors Luke Maye, Cam Johnson, and Kenny Williams have exhausted their eligibility and freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little have each declared for the draft.

That leaves rising junior Garrison Brooks as the only returning starter for North Carolina next season. Brooks started all 36 games for the Tar Heels this season and ranked sixth on the team with 7.9 points per game.

Roy Williams’ squad returns several key bench players from last season as well, including Seventh Woods, Brandon Robinson, and Leaky Black. The Tar Heels have also signed five-star center Armando Bacot and three-star guard Jeremiah Francis in 2019 recruiting class. Five-star guard Cole Anthony, the No. 4 player in the 2019 class, listed UNC among his top four schools and is expected to make a final decision sometime in April.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh in ACC Preseason Poll
As the UNC women’s basketball team prepares for its third season under head coach Courtney Banghart, Atlantic Coast Conference head coaches have picked the Tar Heels to finish seventh in the conference. The preseason poll, revealed on Wednesday morning, predicts Carolina will finish behind NC State, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Notre […]
Art's Angle: Does Honor Absolve Smith?
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) will be bestowing an annual award that honors the late Dean Smith given “to an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values represented by Smith,” according to the official release Wednesday. What a marvelous idea, akin to what has been proposed by various people since Smith […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Former Tar Heel Brandon Robinson to Staff
According to a report from Inside Carolina, former UNC men’s basketball player Brandon Robinson is set to join head coach Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill for the upcoming season. Robinson played four years in Chapel Hill and was a freshman on UNC’s 2016-17 national championship team. He played in 130 total games during his […]
Former LSU Signee Kevin Thomas Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Kevin Thomas, a four-star recruit who initially signed with LSU but decommitted in March, has now committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC. View this post on Instagram Thomas, a 6-foot-6 wing from Fort Lauderdale, FL, committed to and signed with LSU last fall. But following the Tigers’ firing of head coach Matt McMahon, […]
Holding Court: With 2026-27 Rosters Mostly Settled, an Early Glance at ACC Contenders
Through the modern-day chaos of college basketball, the ACC is expected to produce a number of national contenders, as usual. David Glenn takes a look at those based on their rosters as of May 13.
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 Season
As Michael Malone embarks on his first season as the head coach of the UNC men’s basketball program, he’s gotten busy securing the additions of several newcomers to the program. Malone and his staff have mined from traditional high school recruiting and the transfer portal to fill out Carolina’s roster, and that work is continuing […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Bryan Tibaldi as Assistant Coach
According to a report from Inside Carolina, Bryan Tibaldi, who spent the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach at Providence, will join head coach Michael Malone’s UNC staff in the same position. Prior to arriving at Providence, Tibaldi had spent several years in the Cleveland Cavaliers organization in the NBA. Cleveland initially hired Tibaldi as […]
Report: Former Tar Heel Deon Thompson to Join UNC Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
According to a report from Inside Carolina Tuesday morning, former player Deon Thompson is set to join UNC men’s basketball head coach Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill. Thompson was a four-year standout for the Tar Heels, appearing in 152 games, starting 113 and helping UNC win the 2009 national championship. Playing alongside Tyler Hansbrough […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
Chansky's Notebook: Draft Dodgers?
Bill Belichick and Michael Malone have found themselves in the same undesirable dilemma: neither has any draft picks.
›