UNC Basketball Climbs the Rankings Ladder

Rise to No. 20 in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

After a historic low in preseason rankings, UNC basketball has surged to No. 20 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. This remarkable turnaround follows a strong start to the 2025-26 season, highlighted by a victory over then-No. 19 Kansas.

Key Contributions and Depth

Despite the absence of senior guard Seth Trimble (broken forearm), the Tar Heels have showcased their depth and talent:

• Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has been a standout, averaging:
• 23 points
• 5.5 rebounds
• 3.5 assists
• 2.5 steals in just two games.
• Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar and Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans have also contributed double-digit points.

Upcoming Games

• Radford - Tuesday, Nov. 11
• North Carolina Central - Friday, Nov. 14 Both games will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

National Rankings Update

• USA TODAY Sports Top 25:
• Purdue leads with 21 first-place votes.
• Houston and UConn follow.
• UNC at No. 20 (significant improvement from preseason).
• AP Top 25 Poll:
• UNC moves up seven spots to No. 18.
• Analytics Rankings:
• KenPom: No. 23
• Bart Torvik's T-Rank: No. 21 (slight drop)
• Evan Miyakawa's Site: No. 23 (four-spot improvement since season start).