Tar Heels Tumble in AP Poll After Maui Mishap
The North Carolina Tar Heels’ trip to Maui didn’t quite go as planned. After starting the week ranked 12th in the country, the team stumbles out of the prestigious Maui Invitational with a 1-2 record, leading to a significant drop in the rankings. They now find themselves sitting at No. 20 in the Week 5 AP Poll, a slide of eight spots.
“Only two teams fell more than the Tar Heels did this week. No. 2 UConn lost all three games of the Maui Invitational and now finds themselves as the No. 25 ranked team in the country, dropping 23 spots off a cliff. Houston, who was previously ranked No. 6 in the Week 4 AP Poll is now the No. 17 ranked team after losses to Alabama and San Diego State in the Players Era Festival.”
While the Tar Heels did manage a win against the University of Hawaii, they trailed Dayton by double digits in the first half before pulling off a victory. The struggles highlighted areas where the team needs improvement as they head into a crucial stretch of the season.
The upcoming game against No. 10 Alabama on Wednesday looms large for Carolina. This matchup presents a golden opportunity to snag a major Quadrant 1 victory and bolster their NCAA Tournament resume. College basketball fans will certainly tune in to see North Carolina’s RJ Davis square off against Alabama’s star guard, Mark Sears.
"North Carolina has an opportunity to start climbing back up the poll with a win on Wednesday against Alabama, one of the most highly anticipated games of the preseason since the Crimson Tide knocked the Tar Heels out of the NCAA Tournament last year."
Following their showdown with Alabama, the Tar Heels will open ACC play against Georgia Tech at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday.
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