12. North Carolina Tar Heels
Last Week: No. 13
North Carolina only played one game during this past week and they easily handled their business against UNC-Wilmington, winning by 28 points. The Tar Heels, despite two losses to excellent teams in their last four games, are still worthy of a top-15 ranking thanks to their reputation as a program. Just how high UNC deserves to be ranked, though, will depend on the next couple of weeks. Head coach Roy Williams’ team will face off against Gonzaga, Kentucky, Davidson, and Harvard to conclude a difficult non-conference schedule.
One of the most high-powered offenses in the nation, North Carolina currently ranks fourth in the nation in points scored per game (93.3). This is due to the fact that Tar Heels boast several extremely dangerous scorers who can erupt on any given night. Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson, two seniors, are among the top scorers on the team but UNC’s freshmen (Coby White and Nassir Little) are both providing huge contributions.
As North Carolina enters ACC play, it will be intriguing to see how the offense evolves. How will the team react to more challenging defenses night in and night out? Will Nassir Little remain arguably the most talented bench player in the nation? Several fun questions to follow for the team.