University of North Carolina Athletics

Armando Bacot (5), RJ Davis (4) and Caleb Love (2) all return to the lineup in 2022-23.
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Men's Basketball Tops Blue Ribbon Preseason Poll
September 1, 2022 | Men's Basketball
The University of North Carolina men's basketball team took the top spot in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason Top 25 poll, released on Thursday.
Carolina took the No. 1 ranking, followed by No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Houston and No. 5 Duke in the top five. The rest of the top 10 was No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 Baylor and No. 10 Tennessee.
The Tar Heels return four starters from last year's team that went 29-10 and advanced to the NCAA championship game, reaching their NCAA-record 21st Final Four and beating Duke in the national semifinals in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the rivals.
Head coach Hubert Davis enters his second season after earning national coach-of-the-year honors a year ago. He welcomes back All-America big man Armando Bacot, fifth-year senior wing and defensive ace Leaky Black and junior guards RJ Davis and Caleb Love, who form one of the nation's most talented and experienced backcourts.
CHRIS DORTCH'S BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK PRESEASON TOP 25
Carolina took the No. 1 ranking, followed by No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Houston and No. 5 Duke in the top five. The rest of the top 10 was No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 Baylor and No. 10 Tennessee.
The Tar Heels return four starters from last year's team that went 29-10 and advanced to the NCAA championship game, reaching their NCAA-record 21st Final Four and beating Duke in the national semifinals in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the rivals.
Head coach Hubert Davis enters his second season after earning national coach-of-the-year honors a year ago. He welcomes back All-America big man Armando Bacot, fifth-year senior wing and defensive ace Leaky Black and junior guards RJ Davis and Caleb Love, who form one of the nation's most talented and experienced backcourts.
CHRIS DORTCH'S BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK PRESEASON TOP 25
- North Carolina
- Gonzaga
- Kentucky
- Houston
- Duke
- Arkansas
- Kansas
- UCLA
- Baylor
- Tennessee
- Creighton
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Texas
- Auburn
- Villanova
- TCU
- Michigan
- Arizona
- Virginia
- Texas A&M
- Illinois
- Dayton
- Michigan State
- San Diego State
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