The road back to the Final Four for the UNC basketball program started on Monday as Hubert Davis’ team opened up practice in Chapel Hill. Fresh off an appearance in last season’s NCAA title game, the Tar Heels are the trendy pick to win it all this season.
And a big reason why is due to the fact that the team will return four of the five starters from a year ago plus bring in transfer Pete Nance. The bench will be deep for UNC as well, giving them some much-needed depth.
As we get set for the upcoming season, national college basketball writer Andy Katz dropped his power 36 rankings here in the preseason. UNC took the top spot in the rankings, checking in at No. 1. Check out the top five here:
1. North Carolina (1): National runner-up has the personnel to return to the title game.
2. Gonzaga (2): Drew Timme will be a leading contender for national player of the year.
3. Kentucky (3): Reigning Naismith player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe returns.
4. UCLA (4): Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Tyger Campbell will be two of the best leaders in the country.
5. Kansas (5): Jalen Wilson leads another experienced Jayhawk crew.
It won’t be an easy road back to the Final Four for the Tar Heels and they will be tested several times this season, especially with a tough non-conference schedule.
But UNC does have the talent to get it done and will play with that added pressure on their back all season long.
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