UNC Basketball Climbs the Rankings Ladder

UNC basketball has been on the rise in the national rankings. After starting the 2025-26 season at their lowest preseason ranking in 20 years, they have moved up to No. 20 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. This improvement comes after a strong start to the season, including a victory over then-No. 19 Kansas. The Tar Heels have shown their depth and talent, even with senior guard Seth Trimble sidelined due to a broken forearm. Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has been a standout, averaging 23 points, 5. 5 rebounds, 3. 5 assists, and 2. 5 steals in just two games. Other key players include Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar and Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans, both contributing double-digit points. UNC's upcoming games include a match against Radford on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and a game against North Carolina Central on Friday, Nov. 14. Both games will be broadcast on the ACC Network. In the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 men's basketball poll, Purdue leads with 21 first-place votes, followed by Houston and UConn. UNC is currently ranked No. 20, showing significant improvement from their preseason ranking. In the AP Top 25 poll, UNC has also moved up seven spots to No. 18. On analytics sites like KenPom, UNC has climbed to No. 23, while on Bart Torvik's T-Rank projections, they have dropped slightly to No. 21. Evan Miyakawa's site ranks UNC at No. 23, showing a four-spot improvement since the start of the season.