UNC Basketball: Tar Heels rise in Athlon’s updated Top 25 for 2019-20
With the addition of several key pieces, the UNC basketball program is on the rise in the latest Athlon Sports Early College Basketball Top 25 for 2019-20
When the North Carolina Tar Heels walked off the court in Kansas City after a brutal Sweet 16 loss to the Auburn Tigers, there were a lot of question marks surrounding next season.
How would the Tar Heels replace the minutes and production of seniors Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cameron Johnson? Would star freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little bolt for the NBA after just one season in Chapel Hill? And would the Tar Heels be able to seal the deal on the nation’s most highly coveted uncommitted class of 2019 prospect?
As it turns out, the Tar Heels were able to fill out their roster holes quite nicely. And it became especially important that they did, given the departure of White and Little, who took almost no time upon the season’s completion to decide that they were moving on from the college ranks to the pros.
It all started with the signing of 5-star point guard Cole Anthony, who picked the Tar Heels over Georgetown, Notre Dame, Oregon and Wake Forest. Shortly after Anthony’s pledge to the Tar Heels, Roy Williams and company got another back court commitment; this time, from 4-star guard and former Virginia Tech pledge Anthony Harris. Harris decided to leave the program and reopen his recruitment upon the departure of head coach Buzz Williams, who left Blacksburg for the same position at Texas A&M.
North Carolina followed that up with commitments from two of college basketball’s best graduate transfers in Charleston Southern’s high-volume scorer, Christian Keeling, and William and Mary shooting guard Justin Pierce. Add to it returning starter Garrison Brooks, and reserves Brandon Robinson, Leaky Black and Sterling Manley, and the Tar Heels’ roster is looking both talented and deep.
Apparently, the folks over at Athlon Sports felt pretty good about the Tar Heels’ work in the offseason, too, given their position in the latest Early College Basketball Top 25 for 2019-20. North Carolina is up to No. 7 in their latest rankings, and one of three Atlantic Coast Conference schools in the top 10.
The Kentucky Wildcats are at No. 1, and they are followed by Michigan State at No. 2 and Villanova at No. 3. The Duke Blue Devils are fourth, with Ohio State and Louisville coming in a fifth and sixth, respectively. North Carolina, with its plethora of young talent and experienced incoming transfer players, is expected to do quite well this season.
"“North Carolina lost a *ton* of production from its 2018-19 roster, ranging from both supremely talented youngsters like Nasir Little and Coby White; to veteran leaders like Luke Maye and Cam Johnson,” Athlon’s Kyle Kensing writes. “But behind those players a season ago were some high-potential Heels just waiting for their opportunity. In 2019-20, Leaky Black and Garrison Brooks have the potential to shine as an inside-out combo akin to Joel Berry II and Kennedy Meeks on the 2017 national championship team.”"
Seton Hall, Gonzaga and Texas Tech round out the top 10. Only one other ACC team was ranked on the list, and that’s the defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers at No. 15.
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The Tar Heels open the season at home against Notre Dame on November 6.