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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 18 state of North Carolina teams for 2021-22 season

By Cooper Watson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA: A general view of the tip off between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA: A general view of the tip off between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball Head coach Tim Craft Gardner Webb Runnin Bulldogs (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Head coach Tim Craft Gardner Webb Runnin Bulldogs (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

12. Gardner-Webb

This could be a defining season for Gardner-Webb as they look to prove that their 2019 NCAA Tournament appearance was not a one-off—that they can consistently compete with the top of the Big South in Winthrop, Radford, and UNC-Asheville.

The Bulldogs return a majority of their production from a team that went 10-10 in conference play last season. The returning core is highlighted by a pair of sophomore guards in D’Maurian Williams (10.8 PPG) and Jordan Sears (9.3 PPG). Head Coach Tim Craft also landed an impact transfer guard in UMKC’s Zion Williams.

Gardner-Webb should be a top-three team in the Big South this season, with the talent and experience necessary to push Campbell and Winthrop at the top.

11. Elon

The Phoenix had an interesting 2020-21 season, opening with wins over High Point and Campbell before losing eight straight from December 19 to February 13. Starting on February 14, Elon won seven in a row before eventually falling to Drexel in the Colonial Tournament Championship—a near miss on what would have been a historic March Madness run.

Elon returns the majority of its production from a year ago, headlined by Second Team All-CAA member Hunter McIntosh (15.7 PPG) as well All-Rookie Team member Darius Burford (8.9 PPG).

Elon ranked dead last in the CAA in adjusted offensive efficiency last season per KenPom, making their run in March even more improbable. Returning the team’s top five players in effective field goal percentage should help boost the team’s overall offensive efficiency this season. The Colonial is a well-balanced league, meaning that an Elon team that is widely expected to roam around the middle of the pack could easily put together another run at a conference title this season.

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