NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2022-23 season

Midway through the 2021-22 NCAA Basketball season, it was looking as if the Tar Heels were heading towards the NIT. Fast forward a few months later and the team was a minute away from winning it all and now head coach Hubert Davis isn’t on the hot seat anymore. And UNC arguably had the best offseason of any team, getting four of five starters back for another year.

That includes the starting backcourt of RJ Davis and Caleb Love. They averaged 15.9 and 13.5 ppg respectively, along with 3.6 apg each. Neither were extremely efficient from the field, with Love shooting just 37% overall last season. But both can be prolific shooters from deep and each had a 30-point game in the NCAA Tournament. Also in the backcourt is Leaky Black, one of the best individual defenders in the country. He may not score much but between his defense and the other four starters combining to produce over 70 ppg, Black very much has a meaningful impact.

In the frontcourt, Armando Bacot is back after averaging a team-leading 16.3 ppg and 13.1 rpg last season. He had numerous big games in the regular season but saved his best performances for the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player to record a double-double in all six games. And in two of them, Bacot had 20+ rebounds.

The one starter UNC had to replace was sharpshooting forward Brady Manek and they may have found an upgrade in Pete Nance. The 6’11 transfer from Northwestern led his team with 14.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg, shooting 50% from the field and 46% from three-point range. He’s an offensive threat that can score inside and out and will be a natural fit next to Bacot. Nance also is a capable defender on the other end as well.

North Carolina’s starting five could be the best in NCAA Basketball and the bench also has talent.  Dontrez Styles, Puff Johnson, and Justin McCoy are back in the frontcourt, joined by four-star freshman Jalen Washington. And in the backcourt, D’Marco Dunn and incoming freshman Seth Trimble will look for minutes behind Love and Davis.

There’s a lot of depth for the Tar Heels and if the guards can be a little more efficient from the field, could take another level on offense. Returning most of a rotation that was an 8 seed in the last NCAA Tournament and making them the team to beat may be controversial but they have the experience, starpower at the top, and a lack of real weakness that warrants top consideration to open the season.