UNC Basketball: Tar Heel women earn highest AP ranking in seven years
The UNC women’s basketball program received its highest Associated Press Top 25 ranking in seven years following an undefeated week in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The North Carolina women’s basketball program is enjoying its highest ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll in seven years dating back to the 2014-15 season. They were ranked as high as sixth in the poll that season and finished at No. 15 with a record of 26-9.
This year, they sit at 21-5 overall and 11-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, which has them up to No. 18 in the latest poll released on Monday morning.
Their latest pair of victories came against third-ranked Lousiville at Carmichael Arena and on the road against Florida State. It was the former that impressed AP voters the most, as the Tar Heels went toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s best teams, which entered the game with just two losses on the season, and came out with the most significant victory of the Courtney Banghart era in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels, who are six spots north of their previous perch at No. 24, received 228 votes in this week’s poll, two more than 19th-ranked BYU and 10 fewer than the No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes. Add that to their NET ranking (No. 5), Massey Rating (No. 9) and RPI ranking (No. 18), and the Tar Heels are putting together a solid NCAA Tournament resume with just two regular season games remaining.
North Carolina will face off with the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville on Thursday night before the season finale against rival Duke on Sunday.
Next. Tar Heels prepare for game against Louisville. dark
Check back with Keeping It Heel for coverage of those games and all the latest on the UNC women’s basketball program.