UNC Basketball: ESPN releases way-too-early Top 25 rankings

Where does the UNC basketball program rank in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 rankings?

If you’re anything like me, you’re already missing UNC basketball.

It’s only been a few days since the Tar Heels season ended in the National Championship, but hey, is it too early to start thinking about next season?!

Well, according to ESPN, it’s never too early to start looking ahead.

Jeff Borzello released his way-to-early Top 25 projections for the 2022-2023 season. Of course, there are still a lot of things to be determined, such as how the transfer portal plays out as well as what players decided to depart for the NBA, but there are some guidelines for this early set of rankings.

For starters, any player currently projected by ESPN to be selected in June’s NBA draft are considered a “departure.” Players not projected to be picked will be included as a returnee, unless there is reliable information that indicates the student-athlete will not return to school.

Additionally, the predictions take into account the seniors who have another year of eligibility due to the COVID year. Those players are also listed as “departures,” unless they’ve stated their intentions to come back for another season.

With that all said, it’s time to talk about the current rankings. Borzello currently lists the UNC basketball program as his No. 5 overall team on the list.

It’s important to note that Borzello credits the Tar Heels NCAA Tournament run in helping them be ranked so high on this list:

"Before the NCAA tournament run, it’s highly unlikely Carolina would have been at this spot in the rankings. But Hubert Davis clearly found something that worked with his quartet of stars and proved his coaching chops on the biggest stage in the sport. The only negative for the national runners-up is that Caleb Love might have played himself out the door after his outstanding performances. Armando Bacot might have already been heading in that direction. But for now, both are included in this projection — and a trio of Love, R.J. Davis and Bacot would be as good as it gets in college basketball next season. Throw in the development of some returnees and the addition of two top-50 recruits, and Davis will have plenty of talent again.Projected starting lineup:Caleb Love (15.2 PPG)Seth Trimble (No. 45 in ESPN 100)R.J. Davis (13.4 PPG)Dontrez Styles (2.0 PPG)Armando Bacot (16.5 PPG)"

With this projection, Borzello has the trio of Caleb Love, R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot returning to Chapel Hill. This would be the best situation for the Tar Heels, as their trio of captains would be back in the fold in hopes of earning some redemption for this year’s title game loss.

Love, who had a strong NCAA Tournament performance, is the most likely of the group to depart for the NBA. Given his current value, Bacot will most likely explore his options, which could lead him to opt for the pro route as well.

However, nothing is set in stone at this point, so a lot could happen based on the players’ upcoming decisions. Needless to say, the Tar Heels’ rankings will greatly be impacted by how the roster shapes up over the next couple of weeks.

This projection also does not include Leaky Black, who could possibly elect to take advantage of his extra season of eligibility. Borzello’s projected starting lineup will absolutely alter if Black returns, as he should retain his starting spot given his defensive expertise.

The way-to-early rankings are interesting to take a look at, but it’s far from what they will look like when the actual start of the season draws near. If everything falls into place, the UNC basketball program could very well be mentioned among the preseason favorites to get back to the National Championship game this upcoming season.

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