UNC stumbles in the AP Top 25 following mid-week loss at Miami

Doesn't it feel like North Carolina gets penalized more than any team when it comes to the AP Top 25 Poll rankings?

Sure, the Tar Heels did lose a game on the road at Miami (just a few days after an insane victory over rival Duke). Did North Carolina play it's best? Not in the slighest. However, they did bounce back with a win over Pittsburgh on Saturday (one they needed to do without Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar).

There's no doubt everyone expected the Tar Heels to drop in this week's rankings. However, they tied Michigan State for the largest drop by any team this week.

UNC drops five spots to No. 16

Arizona lost two games this past week and only dropped three spots. Duke, having lost to North Carolina, didn't move an inch when the updated polls were released.

Virginia, who North Carolina defeated, is two spots ahead of the Tar Heels.

Make this make some sense!

Don't get it twisted: UNC deserved to fall

After a sluggish loss like they put together, UNC deserved to slide down the rankings a bit. However, a five-spot crash doesn't make much sense, especially when the majority of the teams that jumped them didn't pick up any signature wins.

Yes, the AP Top 25 Poll is just what it indicates: a poll that is obviously flawed but is so heavily relied-upon to measure where a team is at this point in the season.

Did the bigger drop occur due to Caleb Wilson's injury? Are the voters just weary about the Tar Heels given their inability to be consistent this season? It's certain these (and other) factors played a role in it, but looking at it from the surface, North Carolina seems to be judged much differently when they lose than other programs across the country.

As we say every week, win and let the rest figure itself out. That's what UNC needs to do down the stretch as postseason play draws near.