With college basketball season just around the corner, the Associated Press shared its preseason Top 25 poll for men’s college basketball on Monday — and UNC found itself in a familiar position for the program.

The Tar Heels and head coach Hubert Davis saw its 2024-25 team ranked No. 9 in the initial poll, marking a return to the preseason top ten after beginning the 2023-24 season at No. 19. With the ranking, it marks the 68th time in 77 seasons of the AP poll where Carolina was ranked at least once during the season. The last time UNC was ranked in the preseason top ten came in 2022-23, when Carolina began the season as the No. 1 overall team before struggling to a 20-13 record and missing the NCAA Tournament.

Carolina is one of only two Atlantic Coast Conference teams to make the initial rankings, with the rival Duke Blue Devils checking in at No. 7. The ACC itself has not released preseason media picks as of Monday.

The AP Preseason Poll features Kansas in the No. 1 spot, meaning a likely matchup with the top-ranked team when Carolina travels to Allen Fieldhouse to play the Jayhawks on Nov. 8 for their second game of the season. UNC’s Sweet 16 opponent in last year’s NCAA Tournament Alabama is ranked No. 2 in Monday’s poll — who they are also scheduled to face on Dec. 4 as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. The rest of the top ten is filled out with No. 3 UConn, No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 6 Gonzaga, No. 8 Baylor, and No. 10 Arizona.

UNC men’s basketball played its Blue-White scrimmage over the weekend, and will begin a string of exhibition games against collegiate opponents on Tuesday. The Tar Heels will travel to Tennessee’s FedEx Forum to play the Memphis Tigers in a charity game benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. Carolina will also play Johnson C. Smith in an exhibition in Chapel Hill before the regular season begins with a matchup vs. Elon on Nov. 4.

For the full Associated Press Preseason rankings, click here.

Featured photo via AP Photo/Nick Wass.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men's and Women's Teams Both Drop in Latest Rankings
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each dropped spots in the latest AP Poll Monday after both suffered losses during the week. The men dropped five spots from No. 11 to No. 16, while the women dropped one spot from No. 21 to No. 22. The men’s team’s previous ranking of No. 11 had […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 11, Women Rise to No. 21
After the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each picked up big wins last week, both squads have risen in the latest edition of the AP Poll. The men’s team rose three spots to No. 11, while the women’s team rose four spots to No. 21. For the men, No. 11 is the team’s highest […]
Art’s Angle: Generational
Saturday's win by UNC over Duke created a generational moment at a time when the Carolina program and coach needed a win over its archrival.
Social Media Erupts Following UNC's Buzzer Beater to Beat Duke, Court Storming
No. 14 UNC earned the 71-68 win over Duke off a buzzer-beating three-pointer, sending the Dean Smith Center and social media into a frenzy.
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 14, Women Back in at No. 25
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams are ranked in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men (17-4, 5-3 ACC) rose two spots to No. 14, while the women (17-5, 6-3 ACC) are back in the poll at No. 25 after three consecutive weeks unranked. The men played […]
Art's Angle: Lots to Unpack
Art Chansky writes that UNC men's basketball's win over Georgia Tech was solid, but continues to raise some questions around their potential.
UNC Men's Basketball Rises to No. 16 in Latest AP Poll
After a home win against Notre Dame and a road win at then-No. 14 Virginia, UNC rose six spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll to No. 16 this week. UNC’s six-spot jump is the largest of any team in the poll. After dropping to No. 22 following road losses at unranked Stanford and […]
Art’s Angle: Big Boost
UNC men's basketball's dramatic comeback victory over Virginia could be a turning point for the Tar Heels in solidifying their rotation.
Art's Angle: Not Good Enough
No. 14 UNC returns from California with their third and fourth defeats that muddle what comes next after a strong start to the season.
Art’s Angle: Course Correction
As Saturday's win showed, without course correction, No. 17 UNC men's basketball will likely fall to an opponent with more tenacity than their own raw talent.
›