Nearby Foe Passes UNC Basketball in Projected Poll

Despite the recent addition of a projected starter in the 21-year-old international sharpshooter Luka Bogavac, the 2025-26 UNC basketball roster did not see a jump in the latest projected top 25 that ESPN's Jeff Borzello released on Monday. That said, the Tar Heels didn't drop either.

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No, UNC stayed up at No. 25 in the country, according to Borzello, for Hubert Davis' fifth season at the helm in Chapel Hill. But the Tar Heels now sit below another fellow ACC program, as NC State has made its debut in Borzello's rankings at No. 24 overall.

Louisville is the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 7, five notches above No. 12 Duke.

Borzello's top five are No. 5 St. John's, No. 4 UConn, No. 3 Houston, No. 2 Florida, and No. 1 Purdue.

He forecasts a UNC basketball starting five of guard Kyan Evans, guard Seth Trimble, wing Luka Bogavac, forward Caleb Wilson, and center Henri Veesaar, a collection comprised of one returning Tar Heel in Trimble along with four Tar Heel newcomers between the transfer portal and recruiting trail.

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