Oct. 29, 2009
CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina, the defending NCAA champions, will begin its national title defense as the sixth-ranked team in the 2009-10 preseason Associated Press poll, the AP announced on Thursday.
Kansas received 1,612 points to grab the top spot in the poll. Michigan State (1,515) was No. 2, followed by No. 3 Texas (1,397), No. 4 Kentucky (1,372) and No. 5 Villanova (1,347). Carolina was sixth and the rest of the top 10 included No. 7 Purdue, No. 8 West Virginia, No. 9 Duke and No. 10 Tennessee.
Other Atlantic Coast Conference squads in the poll included No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 24 Clemson.
Seven 2009-10 UNC opponents earned spots in the poll: No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 9 Duke, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 24 Clemson. The Tar Heels also could face either No. 13 California in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 20.
With two games against both Duke and Georgia Tech on the 2009-10 conference slate, UNC will play at least nine games this season against teams ranked in the AP's preseason top 25 during the regular season.
To view the complete AP preseason poll, please click here.
The Tar Heels will play Belmont Abbey in an exhibition game at the Smith Center on Friday Nov. 6. Carolina will open regular-season play three days later on Monday Nov. 9 against Florida International in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in the Smith Center.
