The regular season has come to a close, and the final AP Poll before postseason action has been released.
Following the loss to Duke in the regular season finale, North Carolina was destined to drop in the rankings ahead of postseason action.
UNC's second half woes haunt them in a loss to Duke to close out the regular season
How far did the double-digit loss to Duke drop the Tar Heels?
UNC drops two spots to No. 19
After being ranked No. 17 heading into the final week of the regular season, the loss to Duke played a big role in UNC's two-spot drop to No. 19.
BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/M9NaDEFFxG pic.twitter.com/y4ZRSC5FMp
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The ACC closes out the regular season with two top-10 ranked teams. Duke stayed steady at No. 10 while Virginia jumped three spots to join this week's top-10 list.
In total, four ACC programs made the cut, as Louisville (No. 24) remained in the same spot as last week. Miami just missed the cut, earning the most votes for a team that didn't make the top-25 rankings.
Caleb Wilson's injury plays a role
Yes, Caleb Wilson's injury definitely plays a role here.
With the star freshman being sidelined for the remainder of the season, North Carolina is viewed differently by the media (and rightfully so). Not only is Wilson integral to the Tar Heels' success, but Saturday night's rough second half proved that this team's ceiling might be limited now that Wilson won't be able to return for postseason play.
Henri Veesaar provided a blunt response to UNC's second-half effort against Duke
While North Carolina looks to prove the doubters wrong, it won't be an easy task without Wilson. However, the show must go on, and the main objective remains the same:
Find a way to make a deep postseason run over the next few weeks.