Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels are looking to not have a repeat of last year when they missed out on the NCAA Tournament. They are now faced with the task of getting the program back on track here for the 2023-24 season and will have to do so with a lot of new faces.
The Tar Heels lost eight players to the transfer portal while adding four to the roster as well as a two-man 2023 recruiting class.
The lone two returning starters for North Carolina are Armando Bacot and R.J. Davis, both big contributors to the Tar Heels’ team that made a run to the national championship game in 2022. But where do the Tar Heels stand in ESPN’s “Way-too-early” rankings?
The updated rankings by Jeff Borzello were released on Wednesday and UNC stayed put at No. 15:
Hubert Davis started the offseason with two anchors: R.J. Davis at one guard spot and Armando Bacot down low. He then went out and surrounded those two returning stars with intriguing complementary players. Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan is a veteran shooter, while Harrison Ingram from Stanford is a versatile wing. Then top-10 2024 prospect Elliot Cadeau opted to reclassify and suit up for the Tar Heels this fall. He’s a truly elite passer and playmaker who could have the ball in his hands from day one.
Projected starting lineup:
Elliot Cadeau (No. 10 in ESPN 100)
R.J. Davis (16.1 PPG)
Cormac Ryan (12.3 PPG at Notre Dame)
Harrison Ingram (10.5 PPG at Stanford)
Armando Bacot (15.9 PPG)
The Tar Heels may not be done adding to the roster, either. They have three scholarships left and are already showing some interest in a power forward.
For now, this feels like a fair ranking and it’s good to see the national opinion be positive around the program.
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