It’s no secret that ACC basketball isn’t the same powerhouse it used to be, particularly last season, when UNC nearly missed the NCAA Tournament for a second time in three seasons.
Duke ran away with the ACC last year, making a run to the Final Four before a late collapse against Houston. Louisville continued its growth back to a once-relevant program, making its first NCAA Tournament since 2019, while Clemson continued sold play under longtime head coach Brad Brownell.
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North Carolina is hoping that, with its offseason additions, a return to ACC dominance is in the cards this coming season. The Tar Heels loaded up with several high-profile transfer portal commitments, none more impactful than 7-foot center Henri Veesaar, while adding a Top-10 high school recruit in Caleb Wilson.
We’re still four months out from exhibition games, but it’s never too early for predictions. In 247Sports’ way-too-early ACC tiers, UNC landed in Tier 2 – as a Top-25 caliber club.
“The public disdain for UNC’s roster-building may have gone a bit too far,” Isaac Trotter wrote. “Now that all the pieces are in place, the picture is starting to make real sense. The idea of trotting out lineups with Evans, Bogavac, Stevenson and Veesaar, who are all solid-to-good shooters, should make Trimble’s drives much more effective. This team has more size, more shooting, and less positional overlap than last season’s talented but poorly constructed roster. The defense should be far better with Veesaar anchoring the rim, Trimble hounding defenders at the point of attack, and Wilson using his five-star athleticism to fly around and be a pest.”
Trotter said it best: North Carolina sported a talented roster less season, but it failed to fill holes through the transfer portal. Cade Tyson never materialized into the sharpshooter Hubert Davis envisioned, while Ven-Allen Lubin didn’t find his stride until earier this year.
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On paper, the Tar Heels have a roster capable of winning a seventh NCAA Championship. Can the players on UNC’s new-look roster gel together and bring home a title?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball ranked Tier 2 in 247Sports’ way-too-early ACC tiers
