University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Fourth In Preseason Coaches Poll
October 29, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2009
CHAPEL HILL - The defending NCAA champion North Carolina Tar Heels will begin their national title defense as the No. 4-ranked team in the country in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, released on Thursday morning.
Kansas earned 27 of 31 first-place votes and 770 points in the voting to earn the No. 1 spot. Michigan State, with three first-place votes and 732 points, was No. 2. Texas, with 676 points, was No. 3. After the Tar Heels grabbed the fourth spot with one first-place vote and 653 points in the voting, Kentucky was fifth with 635.
Villanova, Purdue, Duke, West Virginia and Butler rounded out the top 10, respectively. Georgia Tech (No. 20) and Clemson (No. 24) gave the Atlantic Coast Conference four teams in the preseason poll.
Seven 2009-10 UNC opponents earned spots in the poll: No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Texas, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 8 Duke, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 20 Georgia Tech and No. 24 Clemson. The Tar Heels also will face either No. 12 California or No. 25 Syracuse in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 20.
With two games against both Duke and Georgia Tech on the 2009-10 conference slate, UNC will play 10 games this season against teams ranked in the coaches poll preseason top 25 during the regular season.
To view the complete poll, please click here.
The Tar Heels will play Belmont Abbey in an exhibition game at the Smith Center on Friday Nov. 6. Carolina will open regular-season play three days later on Monday Nov. 9 against Florida International in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in the Smith Center.
