NCAA Basketball: Should Gonzaga, Houston, or North Carolina be No. 1 for 2022-23?

North Carolina pros of being No. 1

The Tar Heels were 60 seconds away from winning a national title this past season and they return four starters from that team, including star big man Armando Bacot, a record holder for rebounds in the NCAA Tournament and star big man for the Tar Heels. As good as Timme is for Gonzaga as a true center, Bacot is just as good for UNC.

What could give the edge for the Tar Heels over Gonzaga is the point guard play, with Caleb Love leading the way. He was second on the team with 15.9 ppg and 3.6 apg and had several huge outings in the NCAA Tournament, including 30 points against UCLA and 28 versus rival Duke, including that game-winning three-pointer at the end.

Double-digit scoring guard RJ Davis is back as well, along with defensive standout wing Leaky Black. But what may have elevated UNC to No. 1 was the pickup of Northwestern transfer Pete Nance, who is an all-around upgrade over Brady Manek at the power forward position. The 6’11 forward shot 45% from deep but can scorer inside and provide some interior defense.

This starting lineup has to be considered the best in NCAA Basketball and that doesn’t even include the bench and incoming freshmen class, featuring four-star prospects, Jalen Washington, Tyler Nickel, and Seth Trimble. If any of them or the rising sophomores can crack the rotation to make it 7-8 deep, few teams will be able to match up for 40 minutes.