UNC Basketball: National Analyst Believes Tar Heels Are Favorite To Win The ACC

The UNC Basketball program may finally be earning some respect with analysts across college basketball as one of the nation's top teams and a contender for the remaining of the season. Following the Tar Heels 81-69 victory, Brandon Jenkins, National Scout and Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports, believes that North Carolina is hitting its stride at just the right time.

Jenkins addresses that on paper, this team had all the pieces heading into the season. However, North Carolina fans know better than anyone that just because the pieces are on paper, doesn't mean they fit together perfectly on the court.

Jenkins believes that the pieces that Hubert Davis has are beginning to fit together and fall into their individual roles that they need for this team to succeed. He points out that the backcourt duo of RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau each know their roles as Davis is the scorer, and Cadeau is just ten games into his collegiate career but showing us what he is capable of.

Cormac Ryan is an energy guy who, while the shots aren't falling at the rate he wishes, is still finding ways to make plays on both ends of the floor and find himself in the right spots. Several analysts, fans, and former players have said that Harrison Ingram is the best player on the team, and he very well might be when it comes to his all-around talent. Jenkins calls him the "Swiss Army Knife" of this team as he can do everything - hit threes, share the ball, rebound, and play defense.

And while some fans think Armando Bacot has seemed off, Jenkins would still like you to know that he is averaging a double-double through the first ten games for the 2023-2024 UNC Basketball team. Bacot is still a key piece, and as Jenkins calls him, the "heart and soul of this team."

Through the majority of non-conference play, the Tar Heels have one game remaining against Charleston Southern on Friday, December 29th, it appears the teams in the best position to challenge North Carolina will be Clemson and tobacco road rival Duke.

But now that we are through one of the toughest stretches of any UNC Basketball schedule we have ever seen, much less non-conference alone, North Carolina fans have to be excited about the potential of this team and where they could be headed. Is the ceiling the roof for this team? Are the Tar Heels the lead contender for the ACC Regular Season Championship?

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