UNC Basketball: Tar Heels earn high praise from Dick Vitale

Legendary ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale currently has very high expectations for the UNC basketball program heading into next season.

Just two weeks removed from their remarkable run to the NCAA Tournament national championship game, the expectations are high for the UNC basketball program heading into the 2022-2023 season.

And rightly so.

After a disappointing ending to their tremendous journey, the bulk of North Carolina’s key pieces will return for a redemption tour. Although the status of some players still remains unknown, Armando Bacot and Leaky Black have already announced their intentions of returning to Chapel Hill for another season.

It’s never too early to start looking ahead to next season, as college basketball analysts scramble to put together the best possible rankings at this current time. Remember, the transfer portal is still very active and players are still debating on leaving college for the professional level, so a lot will change prior to tip-off on opening night.

As things stand right now, one legendary ESPN college basketball analyst has the Tar Heels among his “Elite Eight” preseason teams. In fact, he actually lists the UNC basketball program as his top team currently in the mix.

Dick Vitale has Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels as his top-ranked team in his latest preseason rankings. Here’s what the long-time analyst had to say about next year’s squad:

"Hubert Davis was 20 minutes away from the national title as his Tar Heels had a 15-point halftime lead on Kansas. Carolina will learn from that. Davis was thrilled when Armando Bacot and Leaky Black announced their plans to return to Chapel Hill. The success of the upcoming season will depend on the status of Caleb Love and R.J. Davis, who are determining their futures. The Tar Heels also welcome 6-9 recruit Jalen Washington and point guard Seth Trimble."

The Tar Heels run to the national title seemed to make everyone a believer in both Davis and the program, as the returning experience could go a long way in helping them return to that point a year from now.

Of course, the status of Caleb Love and R.J. Davis are certainly meaningful ones, but if they return, North Carolina will have four of their five starters back in the mix, including a few recruits who could make an impact right away.

This year, the Tar Heels won’t be able to sneak up on anyone. Instead, they’ll have to find a way to tune out the noise and continue to grow as an overall unit.

If Love and Davis are back in the mix, the UNC basketball program could certainly be a force to be reckoned with. It’s good to see that the media is finally seeing how talented this group is and how much potential they still have in them.

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