The latest edition of the Associated Press Top 25 polls for college basketball saw the UNC programs head in opposite directions following the Phil Knight Invitational.

The UNC women’s basketball team rose from No. 8 to No. 6 in the Week 4 poll, after going 2-0 at the Portland-based showcase against two ranked teams. The Tar Heels knocked off both No. 18 Oregon and No. 5 Iowa State with comeback wins — erasing a 17-point deficit to the Cyclones during the PKI title game on Sunday night. The ranking is the highest for Carolina during the Courtney Banghart era, and the program’s best since its 2014-15 season.

For her outstanding play during the showcase, UNC star junior Deja Kelly was named the Most Valuable Player of the Phil Knight Invitational. Across the two wins, Kelly averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists — including a scorching 22 points in the second half against Iowa State to help the Tar Heels come back and win.

Kelly also earned the ACC Player of the Week honor on Monday for her play during the two Carolina wins. The award marks the second time Kelly has earned the conference recognition — the guard won it in February 2022 for her play in an upset win over No. 3 Louisville and a road victory against Florida State.

Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team saw itself fall from the top spot in the country. A drop in the rankings was expected after a tight loss to Iowa State on Friday, but a second consecutive loss on Sunday in four overtimes to Alabama sunk the Tar Heels further. Hubert Davis’ program skidded to No. 18, which ESPN Stats and Info said was the biggest-single week drop for a No. 1 team in the history of the AP Poll.

Carolina’s loss on Sunday marked the second time in program history the Tar Heels lost consecutive games as the No. 1 team in the country. The prior time was in 1986, when Dean Smith’s team lost to Maryland and N.C. State on the road. For now, UNC is the third-highest ranked team with two losses — Gonzaga (14) and Duke (17) are the programs above them.

Both UNC basketball programs will follow up their Phil Knight Invitational appearances with high-profile matchups against the same school, which is part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The men’s team will travel to No. 10 Indiana on Wednesday night and the women’s program will try to beat No. 5 Indiana in Bloomington on Thursday evening.

For the full Week 4 Associated Press polls, visit the men’s basketball and women’s basketball pages.

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 biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Women Up to No. 15, Men Down to No. 19
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams made moves in the most recent AP Polls, which were released Monday. The women’s team moved up one spot to No. 15, while the men’s team slipped two spots to No. 19. On the men’s side, the Tar Heels dropped after splitting their final two games of […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 17, Women Up to No. 16
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams both rose in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose one spot to No. 17, while the women’s team rose five spots to No. 16. The No. 17 Tar Heel men won a pair of home games last week, defeating […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Drop to No. 18, Women Rise to No. 21
The UNC men’s basketball team dropped two spots to No. 18 in the latest AP Poll, while the women’s team rose one spot to No. 21. Both polls were released Monday. The men’s team split its pair of games during the past week. The Tar Heels lost badly at NC State Tuesday night in Raleigh, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Where the UNC Basketball Programs Stand as 2026 Starts — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 9, 2026)
With both UNC basketball programs coming off losses early in conference play, Debby Stroman discusses the narratives around both teams.
UNC Men's, Women's Basketball Both Rise 2 Spots in Latest AP Polls
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams both jumped two spots in the latest AP Polls Monday. The men rose from No. 18 to No. 16, while the women rose from No. 14 to No. 12. The men’s team is currently enjoying a 5-0 start, tied for its best in five seasons under head coach […]
Stroman on Sports: UNC Men's Basketball Crashes Out + Women's College Basketball is Booming
Dr. Deborah Stroman joins 97.9 The Hill on Friday, March 29, in the wake of UNC men's basketball being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
›