North Carolina Slips in Rankings Entering Postseason

Read to see where the Tar Heels stand in the final AP Poll of the season before the conference tournament begins.

Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) looks on during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels enter the ACC tournament off a troubling defeat to the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night.

Losing Caleb Wilson for the season, less than 48 hours from tip-off against Duke, was a gut punch, an injury with obvious ramifications moving forward for the Tar Heels.

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis addressed the injury and shared the team's mindset.

Davis' Thoughts

UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis during a press conference on Thursday, March 5, 2026. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• “Found out about it yesterday… our team will move forward, and our team has moved forward all year," Davis said. "Seth [Trimble] was out for nine games, Caleb’s been out for seven and Henri [ Veesaar] was out for two, and so it’s nothing different than how our team has reacted and responded throughout the whole season."

• “Obviously, there’s tremendous sadness for him," Davis said of Wilson. "I’ve talked about how special, obviously he’s a special player, but just how remarkable of a kid and a teammate he is, and the passion that he has for his teammates, for North Carolina, for being on the floor, for playing in games like this."

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Kyan Evans (0) in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

• "It was a dream for him to play in the ACC in the NCAA tournament, and my heart is broken that he won’t be able to do that. But we finished the regular season. Now it’s time to regroup.”

On Monday, the latest AP Poll Rankings were released, featuring an abundance of movement, as there were several monumental results this past weekend. Here is where North Carolina stood in the latest rankings.

The Tar Heels Slide Two Spots

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

North Carolina slid to No. 19 in the final AP rankings before Selection Sunday, which takes place on March 15. The Tar Heels only fell two spots, which isn't the end of the world, but considering that Wilson is out the remainder of the season, they got off lucky.

North Carolina could have easily fallen into the 20s, as it heads into the conference tournament this week. The Tar Heels need to win a game or two in the ACC tournament to potentially push for a five-seed in the NCAA tournament, but the selection committee may already have a good idea where North Carolina sits due to its freshman forward's unavailability.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Regardless, the Tar Heels can make some people think about that if they reach the conference championship game, which would require them to win two games to do so.