Will Michael Malone, UNC basketball prove ACC poll, rankings wrong? Here are predictions
Michael Malone's first UNC basketball team faces modest expectations as ACC voters and analytics project the Tar Heels outside the league's top tier.
The University of North Carolina basketball team is not expected to be a championship contender in the ACC during the 2026-27 season. According to analysts and the official ACC preseason poll released on October 13, the Tar Heels are predicted to finish fifth in the 18-team league. The 2026-27 preseason poll, selected by a panel of regional and national media, has Duke as the favorite to win a third consecutive conference championship.
This season marks Michael Malone's first as head coach of the Tar Heels, following his NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets. The 2026-27 Tar Heels roster includes 11 new players, adding to the senior forward Jarin Stevenson, guard Jaydon Young, and sophomore guard Isaiah Denis. Notable transfers joining the team include Utah's Terrence Brown, Virginia Tech's Neo Avdalas, North Carolina State's Matt Able, international center Sayon Keita, and freshman Maximo Adams.
Preseason predictions from various analytics sites, such as KenPom, Evan Miyakawa, and Bart Torvik, do not favor the Tar Heels. As of October 13, UNC is ranked 37th in KenPom, projected to finish fifth in the ACC, 50th on Evan Miyakawa’s site with a sixth-place finish in the ACC, and 45th in Bart Torvik’s T-Rank Rankings, with an eighth-place finish in the ACC predicted.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Where UNC basketball program lands in preseason ACC media poll sports.yahoo.com
