This is it. The last top 25 to get you started on the 2008-09 season.
North Carolina is the consensus No. 1. That hasn't changed. But the group of seven teams directly under UNC, the ones that provide the toughest test for the Tar Heels, is a bit more fluid. The order is for sure, but some of the placement of teams from this tier to the next could obviously change.
The Sweet 16-type teams in the next tier are all capable of making a run at Carolina and deep into the Elite Eight. (Quick: Who had Davidson in the Elite Eight last October?)
The third tier is a collection of teams that are hard to separate at this juncture. And the list beyond that could go on well into 40 or 50 teams that should be considered for a spot in the top 25. The season could be that balanced come February. That's why we included the 12 that didn't make the cut -- you'll see a blurb on them below. For now, enjoy -- let the comments and the zingers rain down on us and get ready for a season that will be owned by, or at least focused on, Carolina from start to finish.
North Carolina
Update: Marcus Ginyard is out with a stress fracture in his foot for eight weeks. The Tar Heels will miss Ginyard's experience while he's sidelined, but the depth on this squad can absorb an early-season injury. The Tar Heels still have the player of the year in Tyler Hansbrough, one of the top point guards in Ty Lawson and one of the better shooters in Wayne Ellington. Danny Green is a pretty nice 3-point-shooting complement too.
Concern: Nothing has changed here, either. Defense will be the key as to whether or not the Tar Heels win the title. They shouldn't have an issue scoring.
Nonconference highlights: UNC's potential Maui Invitational title game matchup against either Texas or Notre Dame on Nov. 26, and then its game against Michigan State on Dec. 3 at Ford Field in Detroit, the home of the Final Four. These might be the two nonconference chances the Tar Heels have to lose.
North Carolina is the consensus No. 1. That hasn't changed. But the group of seven teams directly under UNC, the ones that provide the toughest test for the Tar Heels, is a bit more fluid. The order is for sure, but some of the placement of teams from this tier to the next could obviously change.
The Sweet 16-type teams in the next tier are all capable of making a run at Carolina and deep into the Elite Eight. (Quick: Who had Davidson in the Elite Eight last October?)
The third tier is a collection of teams that are hard to separate at this juncture. And the list beyond that could go on well into 40 or 50 teams that should be considered for a spot in the top 25. The season could be that balanced come February. That's why we included the 12 that didn't make the cut -- you'll see a blurb on them below. For now, enjoy -- let the comments and the zingers rain down on us and get ready for a season that will be owned by, or at least focused on, Carolina from start to finish.
North Carolina
Update: Marcus Ginyard is out with a stress fracture in his foot for eight weeks. The Tar Heels will miss Ginyard's experience while he's sidelined, but the depth on this squad can absorb an early-season injury. The Tar Heels still have the player of the year in Tyler Hansbrough, one of the top point guards in Ty Lawson and one of the better shooters in Wayne Ellington. Danny Green is a pretty nice 3-point-shooting complement too.
Concern: Nothing has changed here, either. Defense will be the key as to whether or not the Tar Heels win the title. They shouldn't have an issue scoring.
Nonconference highlights: UNC's potential Maui Invitational title game matchup against either Texas or Notre Dame on Nov. 26, and then its game against Michigan State on Dec. 3 at Ford Field in Detroit, the home of the Final Four. These might be the two nonconference chances the Tar Heels have to lose.
