After win at Duke, UNC basketball ranked in AP Top 25 for first time since November
How much was North Carolina’s regular season-ending win at Duke worth? It made the Tar Heels jump from not receiving any votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll the past six weeks to being voted No. 25 in the poll released Monday.
Carolina (23-8) was ranked No. 19 in the preseason poll and was No. 18 for a week, but by the third week of the poll, the Heels were out after losing to Purdue and Tennessee in the Hall of Fame Tipoff in November.
Not only had the Heels not been ranked since November, they fell entirely off the radar from voters’ ballots since losing back-to-back games against Miami and Wake Forest in January.
That all changed with their 94-81 win in Cameron Indoor Stadium against the Blue Devils. Carolina received 56 votes, which edged out Boise State’s 49 for the 25th and final spot in the poll.
It was only Carolina’s second win against a ranked team. UNC beat then-No. 24 Michigan, 71-51, on Dec. 1.
Duke dropped three spots from No. 4 to No. 7 with the loss to UNC.
For those wanting to see Carolina-Duke Part III, it can only happen if both teams advance to the title game in the ACC tournament in Brooklyn this week, or if they meet in the NCAA tournament later this month.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 2:11 PM with the headline "After win at Duke, UNC basketball ranked in AP Top 25 for first time since November."