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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 Joe Dooley East Carolina Pirates (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Head coach Joe Dooley East Carolina Pirates (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

10. Charlotte

In 2019-20, Charlotte put together the program’s first winning season since rejoining Conference USA in 2013, going 16-13 overall and 10-8 in conference play. Last season, the 49ers started 9-7 overall, 5-3 in conference play, before finishing the season on a nine-game losing streak.

Fifth-year Head Coach Ron Sanchez was an assistant for 15 seasons under both Dick and Tony Bennett at Washington State and Virginia, so naturally, Charlotte’s tempo has shifted. In the four seasons prior to Sanchez, Charlotte had an average national ranking in adjusted tempo of 49. In Sanchez’s four seasons, their average national rank has fallen to 333.

Although the team’s offensive and defensive efficiencies have hardly increased as a result, the team has seen leaps in more focused areas such as defensive rebounding and three-point percentage defense.

Most importantly, the 49ers bring back junior guard Jahmir Young (18.0 PPG), who looks to repeat as a First Team All-CUSA player this season.

Charlotte is in the easier of the two divisions within Conference USA, meaning that piecing together another winning season becomes slightly more approachable.

9. East Carolina

Jayden Gardner averaged 18.0 points and 8.7 boards over his three years at East Carolina. The team managed to put up a combined conference record of 10-38 in that same span. Gardner transferred to Virginia over the summer where he will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Although expectations are predictably low without Gardner, ECU has a solid shot at surpassing them as they were able to retain the team’s four other starters in juniors Brandon Suggs and Tristen Newton, and seniors Tremont Robinson-White and Ludgy Debout.

The key piece to this year’s squad is Boston College transfer Wynston Tabbs (13.3 PPG), who returned from a lingering knee injury to be one of the Eagles’ best players for the bulk of last season. Tabbs should be an All-AAC level player this season as he looks to lead ECU to their first winning season overall since 2012-13.

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