UNC Basketball featured in ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25

Feb 7, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (0) guards Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Tyree Appleby (1) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (0) guards Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Tyree Appleby (1) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The UNC basketball program was ranked by ESPN in the most recent 2023-2024 way-too-early top 25 rankings this month. Where did the Tar Heels land?

It’s been two months since Keeping It Heel last reported on ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 college basketball rankings for the 2023-2024 basketball season. In those rankings in June, the UNC basketball program was ranked No. 15. Now we have an updated ESPN poll and the Tar Heels didn’t see much change in the polls, despite adding a player to the roster since then.

The Tar Heels find themselves at No. 15 in the most recent rankings by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Here’s what Borzello has to say about Hubert Davis’ squad:

"Hubert Davis started the offseason with two anchors: R.J. Davis at one guard spot and Armando Bacot down low. He then went out and surrounded those two returning stars with intriguing complementary players. Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan is a veteran shooter, while Harrison Ingram from Stanford is a versatile wing. Then top-10 2024 prospect Elliot Cadeau opted to reclassify and suit up for the Tar Heels this fall. He’s a truly elite passer and playmaker who could have the ball in his hands from day one."

The ESPN projected starting lineup for the Tar Heels hasn’t changed (no surprise there):

PG: Elliot Cadeau

SG: RJ Davis

SF: Cormac Ryan

PF: Harrison Ingram

C: Armando Bacot

Notable ACC teams in the August edition of the way-too-early top 25 are No.2 Duke and No. 18 Miami. Along with teams that we already know the Tar Heels could or will face next season, No. 5 UConn (Jimmy V Classic), No. 8 Tennessee (ACC/SEC Challenge), No. 14 Arkansas (Battle 4 Atlantis), No. 16 Villanova (Battle 4 Atlantis), and No. 17 Kentucky (CBS Sports Classic – unofficially).

We are just a few weeks from school starting and just over two months until practice officially gets underway, this could be the most accurate glimpse we get of where the UNC basketball team will begin the 2023-2024 season in the national rankings.

UNC Basketball: Elliot Cadeau high on 2024 NBA Draft Board. dark. Next

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