UNC Basketball Cracks Top 25 in Projected Rankings

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 8:43 AM ET

In the latest offseason ROTHSTEIN 45 this week, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein places Hubert Davis' fifth UNC basketball squad at No. 22 in the country.

He has only two other ACC teams among his projected top 25 for the 2025-26 season in No. 9 Duke and No. 19 Louisville.

Oddly, Rothstein forecasts a UNC basketball starting five that doesn't include the headliner of the Tar Heels' 2025 class in five-star forward Caleb Wilson. No, he sees the 6-foot-9, 205-pounder coming off the bench, along with freshman guards Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis plus seasoned forwards Ven-Allen Lubin and Jonathan Powell.

At this early juncture, the likeliest UNC basketball starters in Rothstein's eyes are guard Kyan Evans, guard Seth Trimble, forward Drake Powell, forward Jarin Stevenson, and center Henri Veesaar.

Of course, it's worth noting that UNC and many other programs have yet to put the finishing touches on their 2025-26 rosters.

Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels began their 2024-25 campaign at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 Poll but quickly dropped out and never returned, finishing 23-14 overall, 13-7 in conference play, and with a season-ending NCAA Tournament Round of 64 defeat at the hands of Ole Miss.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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