UNC basketball drops out of ESPN's way-too-early top 25 rankings
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 4, 2026, 1:27 PM
Last updated Aug 4, 2026
The North Carolina Tar Heels have fallen out of ESPN's updated way-too-early top 25 rankings for the upcoming basketball season. Entering the first year under head coach Michael Malone, the program aims to rebuild after a busy summer on the recruiting trail. Although Malone has received positive feedback for his recruiting efforts, ESPN's rankings place UNC just outside the top 25, in a group with teams like Villanova and Indiana. With the season still months away, there remains time for the Tar Heels to improve their standing.
- •UNC falls to outside the top 25 in ESPN rankings.
- •Michael Malone begins his first year as head coach.
- •The team is focusing on rebuilding after summer recruitment.
- •UNC is grouped with Villanova, Purdue, and Indiana.
- •Updated rankings show changes as the season approaches.
- 1:27 PMYahoo Sports — UNC basketball falls in ESPN's way-too-early top 25
"The UNC basketball program fell in the updated ESPN way-too-early top 25
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