North Carolina to Start Season at No. 16

The University of North Carolina men’s basketball team is ranked No. 16 in the 2020-21 preseason Associated Press poll.

This is the 15th consecutive season in which UNC is ranked in the top 25 in the preseason poll. The Tar Heels have appeared in the preseason AP rankings in 50 of the last 55 seasons since 1966

This is the 924th time Carolina is ranked in an AP poll, which is more than any other school in college basketball history (Kentucky is second with 919).

The Tar Heels have now been ranked at some point in 64 of 73 seasons in the history of the AP poll.

Only two other ACC teams are ranked higher than UNC. Virginia, who won the last national title, starts the year at No. 4. The Cavaliers received one first-place vote in the poll. Duke is ranked No. 9.

Other ranked ACC teams include No. 21 Florida State. Louisville was outside the top 25 but received votes in the poll.

UNC’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge opponent, Iowa, is ranked No. 5. Ohio State, who will play Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic, is No. 23.

Potential second-round Maui Invitational opponents Alabama and Stanford both received votes but were outside the top 25.

Potential Maui Invitational third-round foes in the rankings include Texas (No. 19), Indiana and Providence (both receiving votes but outside top 25)

Last season, UNC was ranked ninth in the preseason poll and remained in the next five polls before falling out of the rankings for the first time since midway through the 2013-14 season.