What UNC Basketball Must Improve To Eventually Enter AP Top 25

The North Carolina Tar Heels played their second exhibition game on Sunday and lost to the Indiana Hoosiers, 76-58.

It couldn't have come at a worse time, as the preseason men's 2026-27 AP Top 25 basketball poll was released on Monday. At this point, nobody's surprised that North Carolina was left out of the rankings, as has been the case all offseason; the Tar Heels have been viewed that way. Throughout the offseason, I've heralded North Carolina as an underrated team that should be in the top 25. While I don't want to be reactionary, Sunday's loss was jarring.

With that in mind, here are a few areas the Tar Heels need to improve to restore my confidence in them as a top-25 team.

Frontcourt Situation Is a Problem

Across the two exhibition games, especially on Sunday night, North Carolina has struggled on the boards. USC isn't an overly physical team, but Sayon Keita's inexperience and Alexandros Samodurov's thin frame have emerged as serious problems. In defense of Keita, he was arguably the best player for North Carolina. However, in the blowout loss to Indiana, the Tar Heels were outrebounded 53-31, a microcosm of their lack of an imposing figure at center.

Again, I've been confident that North Carolina can exceed expectations this season, but that belief was based on the notion that it would have South Dakota transfer center Cameron Fens. Currently, Fens is ineligible to play in games, and if that ruling holds up, these issues we witnessed on Sunday could be a season-long weakness for the Tar Heels.

Cohesion and Chemistry Need To Be Established

I understated this aspect as well, but this roster includes 11 newcomers via the transfer portal and recruiting class. Not to mention, Michael Malone is entering his first year as head coach, with multiple staff additions.

Sunday marked the second time this coaching staff and these players operated against an opponent. The growing pains were evident, and it will take time for this team to get on the same page. There's no need to panic, but based on what the on-court product has looked like in the first two preseason games, this is why this team is on the outside looking in.

Backcourt Has Been Uneven

It's been a mixed bag for this backcourt trio in the first two games. Neoklis Avdalas looked incredibly effective and under control against USC. The Virginia Tech transfer followed that up with a disastrous performance against Indiana, with six points, three assists, and two rebounds, while shooting 3-of-11 from the field, including 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. He also turned the ball over four times.

Meanwhile, Terrence Brown has been a non-factor over two outings, compiling 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting 5-of-14 from the field. Again, it's a small sample size, but Brown's specialty is scoring, and right now he's struggling to finish around the rim, which is where the bulk of his production will come from. Brown also coughed up the ball three times.

Finally, Able was abysmal in his debut, but he recovered with a solid game against Indiana. The sophomore guard looked composed, especially in the first half, but fell into the shadows in the second. Able finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while shooting 4-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. This backcourt possesses a high ceiling, but at the moment, it's a work in progress.