With the transfer portal in full swing, it’s hard to tell who will be amongst college basketball’s elite next year.
It’s easy to say that UConn is the favorite to win again, which would mark the first 3-peat in college basketball history, but the Huskies lose future NBA Draft selections Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan.
One team that could be really good next season – but is also awaiting decisions from star players – the North Carolina Tar Heels.
UNC’s biggest question marks surround Harrison Ingram and leading scorer RJ Davis, who can either declare for the NBA Draft or choose to return for one last season. Both enjoyed extremely productive campaigns, highlighted by RJ being ACC Player of the Year, but they could spurn high draft stock for additional chances to don Carolina Blue and NIL money.
In Gary Parrish’s latest CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 rankings, North Carolina slides in at second behind Houston.
“This ranking is based on Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels returning three of the top five scorers – specifically RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram and Elliot Cadeau– from a team that won the ACC and secured a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish wrote. “UNC is also adding a top-10 recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospects Ian Jackson and Drake Powell that should give the program a chance to make a 22nd appearance in the Final Four.”
Even if Davis and Ingram don’t return, the Tar Heels will likely nab a top transfer (of two) to bolster their roster. Early signs have pointed to UNC being in the running for former Belmont forward Cade Tyson and Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi.
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