UNC Basketball: Tar Heel women move up in latest AP Top 25 poll

The UNC women’s basketball program remains undefeated on the season and has moved up in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Despite not playing for nearly a week, the North Carolina women’s basketball program has moved up in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. Released on Monday afternoon, the updated list features an undefeated Tar Heels squad at No. 24, one spot north of their previous perch at 25th.

North Carolina and Ohio State, both of whom played their most recent game on December 21, traded spots in this week’s poll. The Buckeyes received two more points than the Tar Heels in last week’s poll, but this week it was an 85-84 edge for North Carolina.

The Tar Heels are off to their best start and longest winning streak since the 2010-11 team won its first 14 games of the season. They’re one of five unbeaten teams in the country, along with No. 1 South Carolina, No. 4 Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska.

North Carolina is one of six Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the poll, along with No. 3 Louisville, No. 5 N.C. State, No. 15 Duke, No. 16 Georgia Tech, and No. 17 Notre Dame.

Although the Tar Heels are the lowest-ranked of the half-dozen programs, they’re first in a number of statistical categories including points per game, scoring margin, rebounding margin, three-point percentage, scoring defense, and turnover margin. They are first in the nation in scoring margin with a 33.2 average margin of victory.

One reason that the Tar Heels are still just a fringe top 25 team is their strength of schedule, as they’ve not yet faced a ranked opponent. They have, however, played a number of road and neutral games, and won them all. Regardless, that won’t be an issue soon, as five of their next nine games are against ranked opponents, including a matchup with NC State in Raleigh on January 5.

The Tar Heels will take the court next on Thursday afternoon when they welcome the Syracuse Orange to Carmichael Arena.