Chapel Hill is set to be the host of a Top-15 ranked matchup this weekend.
The latest version of the AP Top 25 Poll was released on Monday, as Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels jumped two spots to No. 14.
BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🚨https://t.co/gkn4yXeNhb pic.twitter.com/iX9N5gXv88
— On3 (@On3) February 2, 2026
The Tar Heels only played one game this week- a road matchup with Georgia Tech, as they had the week off to prepare for the final stretch of the 2025-2026 season. North Carolina took care of business against the Yellow Jackets, but now look to keep their current three-game winning streak alive during this two-game week.
While Syracuse is first on the schedule (a Monday night clash in Chapel Hill) looming just a few days later is Duke, who remained at No. 4 in this week's ranking.
The Greatest Rivalry in College Sports
You don't have to look far back in time to remember the last time these two historic programs matched up both ranked within the top 15 of the AP Top 25 Poll. In 2024, both meetings between the two rivals happened when both teams were ranked among the top-10, both of which ended in favor of the guys wearing Carolina Blue.
While Duke is the higher-ranked team in this meeting, the Tar Heels aim to end Saturday night with a victory.
Just Keep Winning
If you handle business on the court, the rankings take care of itself. North Carolina obviously wants to rise up the rankings while being considered one of the best teams in the country, and in order to do that, they need to continue stacking up wins, especially against other top-tier programs.
Saturday night will provide the Tar Heels a prime opportunity to not only gauge where they are at this point in the season, but can also make a strong case to show the country that they are currently being underestimated.