Top-ranked North Carolina and Kentucky enter the season ranked ahead of the Terrapins, who are the favorite to win the Big Ten and contend for a national championship after a headline-grabbing offseason.
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North Carolina NCAA college basketball coach Roy Williams answers a…
North Carolina is by itself when it comes to being on top of The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. “Hopefully we will use that as fuel to be the best team we can be this year”.
There have been 12 teams to run the table as a No. 1-ranked team since the AP poll started in the 1948-49 season.
The Tar Heels are ranked No. 1 in the AP Preseason poll for the first time since 2011.
Virginia (one first-place vote) is sixth, followed by Iowa State, Oklahoma, Gonzaga and Wichita State.
The Tar Heels had been tied with UCLA, which has had eight preseason No. 1 rankings.
The Spartans received 1,249 points to maintain their No. 6 position in the Associated Press Poll as the top five of Ohio State, Baylor, Clemson, Louisiana State and Texas Christian remain unchanged.
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The West Coast Conference, the Missouri Valley Conference and the American Athletic Conference have one team each. UNC returns 10 of its 11 rotation players from a Sweet Sixteen team a year ago and four starters including ACC Preseason Player of the Year Marcus Paige. That team had trouble closing out games, losing five – including to Wisconsin and twice to Duke – after leading by at least seven points in the second half. Also back are junior forward Kennedy Meeks and sophomore wing forward Justin Jackson.
