Despite entering a new head coaching era, the UNC men’s basketball team still debuted in the Associated Press Top 25 poll to begin the upcoming season.

The Tar Heels will start the 2021-2022 season as No. 19 in the poll, one of four teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference to earn a spot.

Carolina’s inclusion means the program has been ranked for at least one week in the AP poll in every season since 1966-67. This is the 929th iteration of the AP poll that includes UNC, more than any other school in the history of the poll.

Former assistant coach Hubert Davis is now leading the program following Roy Williams’ retirement in April. During the early days of his tenure, Davis has seen much change from last season’s roster to this season’s, with a remade frontcourt featuring a trio of transfer players and the addition of two freshman to the team. The program held its traditional Late Night event on Friday to mark the start of a new season of college basketball.

Ahead of UNC in the AP Top 25 poll are the rival Duke Blue Devils, who come in at the No. 9 spot in the country and the top ACC team. Other conference teams included in the initial edition of the poll at Florida State at No. 20 and Virginia at No. 25.

The top five teams as determined by the Associated Press are Gonzaga, UCLA, Kansas, Villanova and Texas.

If the rankings hold, the Tar Heels are set for a non-conference slate full of opponents featured in the poll. During the November Hall of Fame Tipoff showcase, Carolina will face No. 7 Purdue before then playing either No. 4 Villanova or No. 18 Tennessee. On December 1, UNC will host No. 6 Michigan in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. And on December 18, Carolina will travel to the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas to face No. 2 UCLA.

The UNC men’s basketball program will begin its season with an exhibition against Elizabeth City State on Friday, November 5, before the season-opener against Loyola (MD.) on Tuesday, November 9.

For the full AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, click here.

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