As the college basketball is just a few days away from getting started, the UNC basketball program comes into the season ranked as the top team in the country.
The Tar Heels return four starters from a National Championship runner-up appearance last season and in Hubert Davis’ second year, the expectation is getting back to that stage again.
While there are a lot of people expecting UNC to be one of the best teams throughout the season, one group of analysts doesn’t think the Tar Heels will be back for redemption.
CBS Sports released their ‘expert’ picks for the Final Four and eventual National Championship team(s), and nobody on the panel picked the Tar Heels to win the title.
The lone analyst to have the Tar Heels in his Final Four was Gary Parrish — who had UNC losing to Gonzaga in the Championship game.
“UNC is returning four starters from a team that played in the title game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, among them All-American candidates Armando Bacot and Caleb Love, and thus should be on everybody’s short list of legit title contenders. They’re talented and experienced. That’s a great combination and why I don’t think Hubert Davis will endure the ups and downs that he encountered last season before everything finally clicked in late February. This team should be great from the jump. So as long as UNC stays healthy, and as long as Northwestern transfer Pete Nance adequately fills the role vacated by Brady Manek, the Tar Heels will be in a position to make the Final Four in Davis’ second year just like they did in his first.”
As the preseason wraps up, the Tar Heels have numerous players on preseason watch lists for multiple awards, including three teammates on the NABC Player of the Year watch list.
UNC’s ‘redemption’ season begins on Monday as it takes on UNC-Wilmington.
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