North Carolina Too Low in Latest Power Rankings

Despite being without Caleb Wilson for the last three weeks, the North Carolina Tar Heels have gone 5-1 in that stretch, including wins over Louisville and Clemson. When the freshman forward was officially ruled out with no timetable for return, the Tar Heels were expected to plummet in performance and results. As mentioned, that has not been the case.

On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Borzello released his latest college basketball power rankings heading into the Power-5 conference tournaments, which tip off next week. Here is where Borzello has North Carolina heading into a pivotal ACC matchup in the regular season finale.

North Carolina Ranked 18th; Still Too Low

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

"North Carolina will enter the rematch against Duke this weekend with serious momentum: The Tar Heels have won four in a row, with the last three coming at home against Louisville, Virginia Tech and Clemson," Borzello stated.

"The biggest bright spot during that stretch is the improved variety in offensive weapons for Hubert Davis while star freshman Caleb Wilson is sidelined. Henri Veesaar has been an anchor down low, but the Tar Heels have also gotten big perimeter performances from Seth Trimble (30 points against Louisville, 20 against Louisville), Luka Bogavac (20 against Clemson) and Jonathan Powell (15 against Virginia Tech)."

Feb 14, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and center Henri Veesaar (13) on the bench in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Why the Tar Heels Should Be Higher

While moving up two spots is obviously a sign that the Tar Heels' recent success is being acknowledged, I would argue that North Carolina should be ranked one or two spots higher on this list, especially considering the teams in adjacent spots.

Arkansas' ranking at No. 17 is completely justified, as the Razorbacks, similarly to the Tar Heels, are peaking at the most opportune time of the season. However, Kansas (No. 14) and Alabama (No. 15) should each be ranked lower than North Carolina.

UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis during a press conference on Friday, Feb. 20, inside the Smith Center media room. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Crimson Tide average 92 points per game, but allows 83 points per game. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have lost four of their last six games, all of which were by double-digit margins. While Darryn Peterson is arguably the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Kansas' cohesion and chemistry seemed thrown off by his presence.

North Carolina's ability to win consistently without its best player has highlighted the incredible depth head coach Hubert Davis has at his disposal. NIL has prevented programs around the country from assembling significant depth, but that is not the case for the Tar Heels, who deploy a nine-man rotation, with every player having the ability to impact the game.

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) drives during the first half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

However, news broke on Friday that Wilson suffered a broken thumb in Thursday's practice and underwent season-ending surgery. While I argued that North Carolina should be higher on this list, the latest development does create a convincing counterargument. Nonetheless, at the time being, I would still say the Tar Heels deserve to be a tad higher on this list.