North Carolina's Spot in Latest College Basketball Rankings Revealed

The latest AP college basketball rankings were released on Monday, and the North Carolina Tar Heels remain outside the top 10 following Week 7 of the regular season.

Last Monday, North Carolina moved up two spots to No. 12. This week, the Tar Heels' standing did not budge, with the team owning an 11-1 record before Monday's release. North Carolina's lack of movement this week could be viewed as disrespectful and wrong, but there are reasons for that.

Also, it is not the end of the world that the Tar Heels did not crack the top 10. North Carolina will have plenty of opportunities to prove their spot in the coming weeks.

With all that being said, here are a couple of reasons why the Tar Heels' ranking is justifiied.

Performances Were Shaky

Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis walks the sideline during the first half against the ETSU Buccaneers at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Yes, North Carolina has continued to win games on its schedule, but since last week's rankings were revealed, the Tar Heels have played two games. As stated, North Carolina won both of those games, but the operation left much to be desired.

The Tar Heels defeated East Tennessee State and Ohio State in that span, but the first half in each game was sluggish from North Carolina's perspective. Head coach Hubert Davis discussed this following the win over East Tennessee State last Tuesday.

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis on the sideline against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"I don't want them to take time because every team is different," Davis said. "When you go into conference play, everybody has a way that they play on both ends of the floor. I don't want to get off to slow starts. I felt like we did. It wasn't just defensively. I didn't feel like we were sharp on the offensive end."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that we've consistently gotten off to slow starts," Davis said. "I would say that at times we haven't been consistent at the beginning, where we've gotten off to a fast start and then we had a four- or six-minute lull on both ends of the floor. We allow a team to come back. We're in a situation where maybe we could extend the lead."

Inconsistent Stretches

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) reacts after a foul against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Davis's comments lead right to the next point, which is the Tar Heels' struggles to string together consecutive possessions with points.

That became apparent against Ohio State, as North Carolina blew an 11-point lead in the second half, which resulted in the Tar Heels facing a three-point deficit with under a minute remaining. Yes, North Carolina fought back and earned the win, but it should never have gotten to that point.

UNC — Nov 3, 2025 | Sophomore Jonathan Powell against Central Arkansas | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

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