Fans got their first look at the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program last week as they took down USC in their first exhibition game of the preseason. The Tar Heels looked good in their debut under new head coach Michael Malone.
As we approach the weekend when the Tar Heels will head to Indianapolis to face off against the Hoosiers in an exhibition game, the countdown to the new season continues to roll on. The Tar Heels will open the year on November 2nd, and there are still some questions to be answered in Malone's first year.
On Monday, KenPom released his annual rankings of each team, using a net rating system to rank each Division I program. For North Carolina, they check in at No. 37 in the rankings. KenPom has UNC's offensive rating at 116.8
which is 37th among all teams. But it's the defensive rating that drops their ranking.
KenPom has UNC's defensive rating at 97.5, which is 42nd overall.
The offensive rating is based on points scored per 100 possessions, while the defensive rating is points allowed per 100 possessions. The ratings will change as the games go on, but it's a good metric to look at, especially if you're into advanced metrics.
The bad news for the Tar Heels is that rival Duke has taken the top spot with an offensive rating of 125.1, which is third and a defensive rating of 90.7, which is also third.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Where UNC basketball lands in first KenPom rankings for 2026-27
