Tar Heels Poised for Tough Preseason Challenge as AP Poll Ranks UNC at No. 9

The University of North Carolina (UNC) basketball team has been ranked No. 9 in the preseason Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll, released on Monday afternoon. This ranking places the Tar Heels as one of the top contenders in the upcoming college basketball season, but their non-conference schedule is set to be one of the most challenging in the country.

Navigating a Daunting Non-Conference Slate

Facing the Nation's Elite

Following their season opener against Elon on November 4th, the Tar Heels will head to Kansas to take on the preseason No. 1 Jayhawks on November 8th. This matchup will be the first of several high-profile non-conference games for UNC, as they are also slated to battle No. 2 Alabama in Chapel Hill as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4th, No. 21 Florida in Charlotte as part of the Jumpman Invitational on December 17th, and No. 22 UCLA in New York City as part of the CBS Sports Classic on December 21st.

Potential Maui Invitational Showdown

In addition to these marquee matchups, UNC will also square off against either No. 5 Iowa State or No. 11 Auburn in their second Maui Invitational contest on November 26th. The following day, the Tar Heels could potentially face the defending back-to-back national champions, preseason No. 3 UConn, in the Lahaina Civic Center.

ACC Landscape and Voting Attention

While UNC and Duke are the only ranked ACC teams in the preseason AP Poll, several other conference foes have received votes, including Wake Forest, Miami, Clemson, and Louisville. This suggests that the ACC will be a highly competitive and challenging conference for the Tar Heels to navigate throughout the regular season.

Reigning ACC Player of the Year Leads the Way

Hubert Davis' fourth UNC basketball squad will be led by reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, who will look to guide the Tar Heels through their daunting non-conference schedule and into a successful ACC campaign.Overall, the Tar Heels' preseason ranking and challenging non-conference slate have set the stage for an exciting and highly anticipated college basketball season. As the team prepares to take on the nation's elite, all eyes will be on UNC to see how they rise to the occasion and potentially make a deep postseason run.