All Tar Heels

UNC Basketball Suddenly Has Opportunity to Make Ranking Skyrocket

A win over Syracuse may propel UNC basketball to No. 3 or higher in the country.
Matt Giles|
Photo credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

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North Carolina Tar Heels

Following Wednesday night's 67-54 road win over unranked rival NC State (11-4, 3-1 ACC), the UNC basketball team sits alone atop the conference standings. And due to a slew of losses in the top five this week, the No. 7 Tar Heels (12-3, 4-0 ACC) are in position to jump a handful of spots in next week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Kansas, and No. 5 Tennessee all picked up an L since the latest release of the poll on Monday.

So, on that note, if UNC defeats unranked Syracuse (11-4, 2-2 ACC) in the Smith Center at noon ET Saturday (ESPN), Hubert Davis' third batch of Tar Heels, now riding a five-game winning streak despite only one of those outings taking place at home, may well leapfrog all four of those squads.

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Meanwhile, No. 6 Kentucky goes on the road to face unranked Texas A&M on Saturday, and No. 4 UConn hosts unranked Georgetown on Sunday.

Although it seems highly unlikely that either the Wildcats or Huskies will falter in those matchups, this week's string of upsets at the expense of squads in the top 25 (eight altogether through only Wednesday night) would warn not to rule out that possibility entirely.

Should Kentucky and UConn somehow both lose this weekend, one would think that UNC basketball will have a chance to rank No. 1 next week — assuming the Tar Heels take care of business against the Orange, of course. After all, that distinction rarely goes to any team that recorded a loss the previous week.

UNC hasn't ranked No. 1 since its three-week stay there in the first month of the 2022-23 season before infamously dropping four straight and ultimately failing to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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