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UNC Basketball: KenPom preseason ratings show no love to Tar Heels

By Blake Cockrum

Dec 30, 2019; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Ramses the North Carolina Tar Heels mascot performs on the court before the North Carolina Tar Heels play the Yale Bulldogs at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2019; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Ramses the North Carolina Tar Heels mascot performs on the court before the North Carolina Tar Heels play the Yale Bulldogs at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports /
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KenPom.com shows no love to UNC basketball program, as Tar Heels don’t even make it into preseason top 25.

Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com recently released his 2022 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings for the upcoming season, and the North Carolina Tar Heels didn’t even make it into the top 25.

In fact, the Tar Heels are all the way back at No. 40 to begin the season. That puts them behind five of their Atlantic Coast Conference foes — Duke (10), Florida State (24), Notre Dame (27), Louisville (36) and Virginia Tech (39) — and programs such as San Diego State, San Francisco, Colorado and BYU. They are, however, just ahead of inter-conference squads Syracuse (41) and Virginia (45).

Where UNC ranks in 247Sports Top 25. light. Related Story

The KenPom ratings take into account a number of metrics, including offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo and even luck. Obviously, the data and subsequent rankings spit out by Pomeroy’s preseason chart come largely from last season, and don’t take into account a number of things that are yet to take place this season. So, while the Tar Heels mediocre 2020-21 season — and the even worse one before it — may have earned them their position on the list, I think the 2021-22 Tar Heels will prove to be much better than the 40th best team in college basketball.

After all, they welcome back junior big man Armando Bacot, who tested the NBA waters during the offseason but decided to return to campus in the fall. Bacot will begin the season as a heavy favorite for first team All-ACC honors and conference Player of the Year. He’s joined by a budding group of sophomores that includes Caleb Love, Kerwin Walton, R.J. Davis and Anthony Harris, all of whom figure to get a lot of minutes in the Tar Heels’ rotation this year.

North Carolina also earned commitments from three players via the NCAA transfer portal this year. Brady Manek (Oklahoma), Dawson Garcia (Marquette) and Justin McKoy (Virginia) will all make an impact on this season’s squad, particularly when it comes to knocking down outside shots and spreading the floor out. That will make it much tougher for opponents to clog the lane and double-team Bacot in the post. Garcia and McKoy should play important roles on the defensive end of the court, too.

So, although North Carolina is currently behind 39 teams in Pomeroy’s ratings, I expect that to change over the course of the season.

Next. Tar Heels pick up Crystal Ball prediction for five-star. dark

Check back with Keeping It Heel for updates on this, as well as everything regarding the UNC basketball program this season.

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