For the first time in 21 years, UNC basketball will open a season outside of the national rankings. 

The Tar Heels are unranked in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll or the AP Top 25 entering the 2026-27 season, the first under coach Michael Malone. UNC has 11 newcomers joining returners Jarin Stevenson, Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis. 

Utah transfer Terrence Brown, Virginia Tech transfer Neo Avdalas, N.C. State transfer Matt Able, international center Sayon Keita and freshman Maximo Adams are among the talented players joining UNC. 

It marks just the fourth time since 1984 that UNC has begun a season outside the AP Top 25. 

The most recent occurrence came in 2005-06, when the Tar Heels entered the season unranked after winning the 2005 national championship. Led by freshmen Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard, UNC won 23 games and was eliminated in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

UNC also started the 2002-03 season unranked and finished with a 19-16 record in Matt Doherty’s final season before Roy Williams returned to Chapel Hill. 

Dean Smith’s 1984-85 squad, headlined by Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith, wasn’t ranked to start the season but ended the year at No. 7 in the AP poll. UNC won 27 games, winning the ACC regular-season championship before an Elite Eight appearance, losing to eventual national champion Villanova. 

According to analytics sites and the official ACC preseason poll, which was released by the league on Oct. 13, Malone’s Tar Heels have been picked to finish fifth in the 18-team conference. 

College basketball rankings, Oct. 19

Here's a look at UNC basketball's rankings across several preseason polls and analytics sites as of Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.

UNC basketball ranking in USA TODAY coaches poll, AP Top 25 

The Tar Heels aren’t ranked in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll or AP Top 25, but the ACC has four teams in the coaches poll and AP poll. Duke is No. 2 and Louisville is No. 11 in both polls. Virginia is No. 9 in the AP poll and 10th in the coaches poll, with Miami coming in at No. 14 in the AP poll and 17th in the coaches poll. 

UNC basketball ranking on KenPom, Bart Torvik, EvanMiya analytics sites

The analytic sites aren’t bullish on Michael Malone and the Tar Heels in the 2026-27 season. As of Oct. 19, UNC is 37th in KenPom, 49th on Evan Miyakawa’s site and 46th in Bart Torvik’s T-Rank Rankings.