All Tar Heels

Expert Names UNC Basketball His Top 'Final Four Dark Horse'

Andy Katz views the 2023-24 UNC basketball team as a potential contender on the national stage.

Matt Giles

UNC basketball versus Duke in the 2022 Final Four (Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
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The first UNC basketball squad under Hubert Davis' command ranked No. 19 in the preseason AP Top 25. Five months later, that group played for the national championship after famously spoiling UNC basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski's 2022 retirement party.

Perhaps that nugget played a part in NCAA college basketball expert Andy Katz placing this year's Tar Heels, again No. 19 in the preseason AP Top 25, atop his list of the nation's "Top 10 Final Four Dark Horses" entering next week's tipoff to the season.

Illinois, Texas A&M, Maryland, UCLA, Villanova, St. John's, Boise State, Wisconsin, and Memphis round out Katz's top 10.

So, the Tar Heels, projected by the media to finish No. 3 in the ACC standings, are the only team from their conference on the list:

It's also worth noting that the UNC basketball program returns two key components, Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, to a roster that sat atop last year's preseason AP Top 25. Both veteran Tar Heel weapons are on positional preseason watch lists; Bacot is a preseason All-American and All-ACC First Team selection.

Granted, their 2022-23 Tar Heels became the first in history to begin a campaign in that top spot, only to fall short of the NCAA Tournament. But that was due more to the absence of chemistry than a lack of talent.

Now, the staff in Chapel Hill has surrounded Bacot and Davis with a formidable cast of mostly new faces from the recruiting trail and transfer portal. The newcomers include several potential starters: Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan, Elliot Cadeau, and Paxson Wojcik.

They sure appeared to gel with Bacot and Davis as an uptempo, high-energy bunch in Friday night's 117-53 exhibition victory over St. Augustine's, the final tuneup before the regular season gets underway.

RELATED: Highlights From Tar Heels' Blowout Exhibition Win

UNC begins its season against Radford on Nov. 6 before hosting Lehigh on Nov. 12 and UC Riverside on Nov. 17.

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Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI.com for more UNC basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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