UNC Basketball: Four Tar Heels Make CBS Sports’ Top 100 Players

CBS Sports released their annual list of the “Top 100 And 1” best players entering the college basketball season, and the UNC basketball team has four players on the list.

We are now in the final week of the college basketball offseason.  With the season just days away, major college hoops news outlets are releasing some of their final preseason predictions.

This morning, CBS Sports released their list of the “Top 100 And 1” players in the country entering the season, and the list featured four members of the UNC basketball team.

The headliner of the group was star center and Preseason ACC Player of the Year Armando Bacot, who came in as the third-ranked player.  Ranked ahead of Bacot are Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme in that order.  The trio of big men at the top of the list appear to be the favorites to win the National Player of the Year award this season.

Here’s what CBS Sports Kyle Boone had to say about the Tar Heel big man:

"3. Armando Bacot | North Carolina | Senior“Bacot emerged last season as not just one of the most dominant bigs, but players, in college hoops. At the midpoint of the season his UNC team’s tourney hopes were teetering, but that’s when he came alive, averaging more than 16 points and 14 rebounds per game in leading the Tar Heels from the bubble to the title game. With him back in the fold, UNC is armed with a superstar big and a supporting cast around him capable of giving Carolina a real shot at a seventh national championship.” — Kyle Boone"

Bacot wasn’t the only Tar Heel to make the top ten in this list, as junior guard Caleb Love came in at #10.  The St. Louis native is the third-highest-ranked guard on the list and should be one of (if not the) most dynamic players in the sport this season.

"10. Caleb Love | North Carolina | Junior“Maybe we’re a little bullish on UNC’s 6-3 combo guard, but if Love puts his shot together and can capitalize off playing around arguably the best starting five in the country, he’s in store for a humongous junior season. He had 28 against Duke in the Final Four, 30 vs. UCLA in the Sweet 16 a week before that. He went for 21 or more points 11 other times last season, finishing with 15.9 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. His shot accuracy has to improve, and we think it will. Few players are as willing to hoist and hoist and hoist without a conscience like Love does. (See below, the shot that ended Coach K’s career.) His skillset intrigues pro scouts as well, as he’s visibly one of the more talented guards returning this season.” — Matt Norlander"

Love’s backcourt mate was also included in the rankings, as point guard RJ Davis made the cut at No. #31.  While Davis might not put up monster numbers this season (largely due to the talent around him), it would be hard to find a better point guard anywhere in the country to lead your team.

"31. RJ Davis | North Carolina | Junior“Caleb Love and Armando Bacot got the accolades for UNC in its late-season surge, but RJ Davis was quietly the engine that helped power it to its title game appearance last season. The now-junior point guard averaged 13.5 points and team-highs in both assists (3.6) and steals (1.0) as a sophomore and returns in 2022-23 as one of the most talented lead guards of one of the most talented teams in the sport.” — Kyle Boone"

The fourth and final returning starter from last year’s Final Four squad, Leaky Black, was also included on the list, largely because of his defensive presence.  The impact that the now “super-senior” has on that end of the floor is enough to earn him a spot at No. #95 in these rankings.

"95. Leaky Black | North Carolina | Grad Senior“All due respect to Northwestern transfer Pete Nance, who nearly made this list, but Black is not only a staple of Eye on College Basketball, he’s one of the best defenders in the sport. Defense can’t be undervalued; it’s what gets Black on the list. At 6-9 with a wicked wingspan, his impact will be overlooked no more. If UNC is going to make another Final Four push, Black’s super-glue-guy attributes (120.5 ORtg, 4.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg) should upgrade him to being a tangible difference-maker on a near-nightly basis” — Matt Norlander"

While preseason projections don’t mean much in the long run, it is obvious to those who follow college hoops that the Tar Heels are bringing back plenty of experienced talent this season.  Fans should also be optimistic that the Carolina bench will do a better job of providing rest and quality minutes behind the starting lineup this season.

Bacot, Love, Davis, Black, and the rest of the UNC basketball program will open the season on Monday night in the Smith Center against UNCW.

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