ACC Power Rankings: Where Does UNC Stand?

Throughout this offseason, the ACC has been one of the hottest conferences in college basketball in terms of landing talent through the transfer portal.

During a transitional period like North Carolina finds themselves in, it isn’t great news to see other teams in the conference loading up on talent, especially rival teams.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) dribbles against VCU Rams forward Jadrian Tracey (2) in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

With that being said, North Carolina finds themselves in an interesting position on the totem pole heading into next season. Where are they ranked among their peers in the ACC’s projected top five teams for the upcoming season?

1. Duke Blue Devils

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) gestures to head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

As unfortunate as it is, Duke has to be the clear frontrunner to win the ACC again. They have reloaded with a plethora of talent and managed to return multiple starting players, including Patrick Ngongba, Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr.

North Carolina will have their hands full once again this season, and Duke will be no easy matchup. As Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils head into next season, they will certainly have championship aspirations, and anything less will simply be a letdown.

2. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville’s Pat Kelsey coaches his team against Virginia in the KFC Yum! Center Tuesday night. Jan. 13, 2026 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When speaking of teams that dominated the portal, Louisville comes away with the gold medal. Headlining their additions is Flory Bidunga, a five-star transfer from Kansas, along with Jackson Shelstad, a four-star transfer guard from Oregon.

For a team that somewhat downplayed expectations last season, they’ll look to bounce back in the ACC this season and make a deep run in not only the ACC tournament but also the NCAA tournament.

3. Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia made the ACC championship game last season before coming up short to Duke, but with key returning players and some decent additions, they’ll look to finish the job this season.

Chance Mallory is a highlighted name on the roster, as he’ll look to make a major sophomore jump. Also returning is Thijs De Ridder, the Cavaliers leading scorer last season at 15.6 points per game in 2026.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Fourth is where the Tar Heels land for now. The losses from the majority of their roster do hurt, as they failed to return any players with significant playing time aside from forward Jarin Stevenson.

Despite that, Michael Malone has done an excellent job at adding talent to the roster, so much so that they still have strong promise heading into year one during this “transitional period.” If everything goes right for the Tar Heels, this season could end up being a pleasant surprise.

5. Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are in a similar boat as North Carolina. They lost a good majority of their talent, but their portal additions were excellent, giving them a great chance to be a strong team in the ACC this season.

Jai Lucas was one of the best coaches in the ACC in his first season, and no doubt he has his sights on winning the entire thing this season.

North Carolina may enter these initial rankings below their expected line, but if Michael Malone can get this team clicking early, they have a chance to climb these rankings quickly

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