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College basketball rankings: Preseason Top 25 – Michigan State No. 1, ACC is loaded

By Mike Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Michigan State players and coach Tom Izzo at the end of the Div 1 Men's championship - elite eight game between Duke and Michigan State, on March 31, 2019, at Capital One Arena, in Washington D.C. (Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Michigan State players and coach Tom Izzo at the end of the Div 1 Men's championship - elite eight game between Duke and Michigan State, on March 31, 2019, at Capital One Arena, in Washington D.C. (Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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10. North Carolina

Things can change on a dime in the college basketball world and North Carolina’s fortunes over the past six months are certainly a good example of that. Back at the end of last season, the Tar Heels looked like a contender for the national championship, beating Duke twice during the regular season and riding an efficient offense to a top seed in March Madness.

After surviving a first-half scare against Iona in the first round, North Carolina cruised into the Sweet 16, where they got upset by an Auburn team that simply was unconscious from the perimeter. With a senior-laden roster and stud freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little bolting for the NBA, it didn’t look like there would be much left for North Carolina to work with.

Roy Williams worked his magic in the recruiting season, however, restocking the Tar Heels with plenty of exciting young players. The crown jewel of this class is point guard Cole Anthony, who should seamlessly fill White’s shoes and potentially be a Player of the Year Candidate in the ACC.

While Anthony is the headliner, the Tar Heels also added another potential impact freshman in forward Armando Bacot, who appears destined to be the latest three or four-year player to drive Duke fans nuts. Williams also brought in some experience to his team in the form of grad transfers Justin Pierce and Christian Keeling, who should help a young group get used to the college hoops life.

There is a wide variance with the group’s potential, especially since so few key cogs from last year’s team are back. There should be a significant period of growing pains for the Tar Heels, so don’t be shocked if they suffer some strange losses early before getting into peak form by February.