Does Jay Bilas consider UNC as a top 10 team?
The college basketball season is officiall underway as the first week of games is almost complete. But not before a big top 10 showdown in Lawrence, Kansas as the No. 1 Jayhawks host No. 9 North Carolina.
It's one of the premier non-conference games of the early schedule as it will be a big test for the Tar Heels early this season. Before we get to tipoff, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas released his top 68 teams for the season in the "Bilas Index". And for North Carolina, they are ranked No.10 overall.
Here is what Bilas had to say about North Carolina as the season is underway:
The Tar Heels will look a bit different from what we have seen in the past. North Carolina has always been a big team up front, with anchors down low and on the glass. This team will be faster and more versatile, but the results will be similar. Hubert Davis has the ACC Player of the Year back in RJ Davis, teaming in the backcourt with speedster and facilitator Elliot Cadeau. RJ Davis is among the most productive guards in Carolina history, and he has a light shot to catch Tyler Hansbrough and become North Carolina's leading career scorer. Seth Trimble is a powerful athlete, and transfer Cade Tyson (Belmont) can really shoot the ball. Cade Tyson is the brother of former Clemson star Hunter Tyson, and he will provide versatility on the wing. Freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell and Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin are all super athletic wings who will improve this team's speed, athleticism and length. Carolina also has Jalen Washington and Jae'Lyn Withers back to provide interior productivity. Different isn't a bad thing. This team is how Hubert Davis envisions playing, and the Heels will present matchup problems and will really run. Buckle up.
Bilas' ranking of the Tar Heels is pretty fair. They are a good team but they still have some questions including in the backcourt after losing their two best rebounders in Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram.
While the Tar Heels had their struggles against Elon in the opener, it's only one game and this Friday night showdown will be a measuring stick for them as they still have matchups against good teams like Alabama, Florida, UCLA and the Maui Invitational.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : Does Jay Bilas consider UNC as a top 10 team?
