Aidan Jensen, Tar Heels WireMon, December 1, 2025 at 11:18 PM UTC·2 min readDespite suffering their first loss on Thanksgiving Day, the North Carolina Tar Heels are still viewed as a top team in college basketball.
UNC traded punches with Michigan State last Thursday, trading first-half runs, before cold shooting prevailed in a 74-58 loss. North Carolina (6-1) made just four of its 23 perimeter attempts, a 17 percent mark that makes it tough for any team to win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLast week wasn't all doom and gloom for the Tar Heels, who started their week with an 85-70 win over St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.
As a result of their 1-1 week against strong competition, UNC remained 16th in the December 1 AP Poll.
North Carolina found itself one spot behind 5-2 Florida, which fell five spots to 15th and undefeated Vanderbilt, which jumped seven spots to 17th.
The Tar Heels have a golden chance to further boost their rankings, facing Kentucky on Tuesday in the ACC-SEC Challenge. UNC finally returns home Sunday, when it'll host Georgetown at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
Through just seven games into its 2025-26 season, North Carolina is defined by its star post duo of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, who seemingly record double-doubles every game. Wilson provides the highlight-reel dunks, while Veesaar is a true center the Tar Heels sorely lacked last season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUNC is making things work without Seth Trimble, who broke his left forearm last month, but should return for the bulk of ACC play. Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac continue to start in Hubert Davis' backcourt, while Jarin Stevenson brings a 3-and-D threat to Chapel Hill.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball stays ranked 16th in December 1 AP Poll
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