Following another week in which North Carolina picked up multiple wins, especially one against rival Duke, it was expected that the Tar Heels would rise in the updated AP Top 25 rankings.
They did just that, as they creep even closer to the top 10.
UNC moves up 3 spots to No. 11
The Tar Heels are now just on the outside of the top 10 as they've moved up to No. 11, a three-spot increase from a week ago. North Carolina remains one of five ACC schools to be featured in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/7roX4J2ynl pic.twitter.com/zTRm0ar9I5
— On3 (@On3) February 9, 2026
When you beat a top-10-ranked team in the land, it's more than likely that you'll rise up a few spots in the rankings. That's exactly what North Carolina did, riding an incredible comeback effort to pull off what felt like an improbable victory over the rival Blue Devils.
Seth Trimble comes up clutch to help UNC pull off an incredible comeback against Duke
Now, we established that UNC won the game, and moved up in the rankings. How did it affect the guys down the road in Durham?
Are we even surprised?
After suffering a loss to North Carolina, Duke dropp... I mean, remained at No. 4 in the latest rankings.
Should you be surprised? No. Let's remember: these same voters STILL have Kansas, who lost to the Tar Heels earlier in the year, ahead of them.
Jon Scheyer is finally walking back his outrageous UNC fan accusations
Sure, we all would've been quite okay if the Blue Devils dropped a spot or two following their loss in Chapel Hill on Saturday night, but that loss, one in which they led for nearly the entire game, wasn't one that the voters felt was enough to slide them down the rankings.
Given that UNC handed them their first conference loss, and the fact that they only have two losses total thus far, you can understand the justification (even if you truly hate it!).