North Carolina’s two basketball programs head into the season with very different starting points, at least according to the AP preseason polls.
The women landed at No. 12, while the men were left out of the Top 25 entirely after picking up 20 ranking points, good for the unofficial No. 30 spot behind No. 25 BYU.
For a program with UNC’s name recognition, that kind of opening number won’t turn many heads - but it does reflect just how much uncertainty surrounds this roster. Michael Malone is the new coach, the lineup has changed a lot, and the exhibitions have already offered mixed signals.
One of those results was a loss to Indiana, a team that also received even fewer votes than Carolina. There’s reason to believe this group can climb, but the preseason snub feels defensible.
Florida grabbed the No. 1 spot on the men’s side, with Duke right behind it. Virginia checked in at No. 9, Louisville at No. 11 and Miami at No. 14 as the ACC placed five teams in the poll.
On the women’s side, Courtney Banghart’s Tar Heels opened at No. 12, which fits the general arc of her recent teams. They’ve been good enough to hang around the Sweet 16 conversation, but not quite able to clear the sport’s biggest powers at the end of the line. That’s the territory AP voters see UNC occupying again this season.
There’s still plenty to like about the roster. Nyla Brooks, Reniya Kelly and Ciera Toomey are back, and the incoming class includes Katie Harpring, who was the No. 1 recruit in the country according to some outlets.
At the top of the women’s poll, South Carolina came in at No. 1 after finishing as last season’s national runner-up, with UConn at No. 2 separated by just 18 ranking points. Duke was the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 4, followed by Louisville at No.
7, Notre Dame at No. 13 and NC State at No. 25.
Both UNC teams enter the season with room to rise. The preseason numbers are just the first snapshot, and there’s still time for those rankings to look a lot different by season’s end.
In Other News...
North Carolina Heads Into Syracuse With One New Concern
North Carolina comes into its matchup with Syracuse feeling a lot better about itself after back-to-back wins over Pitt and Duke, but the Tar Heels are not exactly at full strength. Bill Belichick has already pointed out that Syracuse still has plenty of talent even with a winless conference record, which is the kind of warning that tends to matter more when a team is dealing with its own injury concerns and trying to keep momentum rolling.
Syracuse arrives with its own layer of uncertainty, having been forced to use multiple quarterbacks because of injuries, even as Fran Brown has stayed upbeat about what the group can still become. The Orange also have a featured weapon in Umari Hatcher, who was named ACC Receiver of the Week after a strong showing, so this is not the sort of opponent North Carolina can treat lightly just because the record has been uneven. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Recruiting Push Could Spark Something Huge For Tar Heels Fans
North Carolinas recruiting momentum could get a major lift later this month, with five-star prospect DeMarcus Henry set to visit Chapel Hill on October 24 before making his decision on October 30. Henry is one of the biggest names in the 2027 class, and the fact that he is from North Carolina only adds to the intrigue for a program trying to build around homegrown talent under first-year coach Michael Malone.
Henrys choice may carry even more weight because it could help shape the thinking of fellow highly regarded in-state recruit CJ Rosser, who has also been tied to North Carolina. If the Tar Heels can land both players, it would give Malones first recruiting cycle an early boost and send a clear message about what his staff can sell on the trail. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Seelmann Just Gave UNC A New Defensive Reason For Hope
Peyton Seelmann gave North Carolina exactly the kind of defensive spark it needed in a tight win over Duke, earning ACC Linebacker of the Week honors after the Tar Heels held on for a 24-20 victory. Seelmann was everywhere in that rivalry game, piling up a game-high 16 tackles with seven solo stops, plus a half-tackle for loss, a half-sack and a quarterback hurry.
What made the performance stand out most was when it happened. Seelmanns work in the second half, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter, helped steady a UNC defense that needed stops to finish the job, and it offered a timely reminder that the Tar Heels may have found a more reliable presence in the middle of the field. For a team looking for answers on that side of the ball, nights like this are the kind that can change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]