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North Carolina Climbs To No. 17 In This Week's AP Poll
Tar Heels move up one spot after wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
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The North Carolina Tar Heels climbed one spot to No. 17 in this week's AP Top 25 poll after securing home wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels used a career-high 30 points from Seth Trimble to defeat the then-No. 24 Cardinals 77-74, and a strong second-half performance led by Henri Veesaar's 26 points to take down the Hokies 89-82.
Why it matters
The Tar Heels' rise in the rankings comes at an important time, as they look to secure a favorable seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. With significant conference tournament seeding implications on the line, North Carolina will host Clemson and travel to face No. 1 Duke in their next two games.
The details
Against Louisville, the Tar Heels led by as many as 16 points in the second half but nearly let the lead slip away due to a poor free-throw shooting performance. However, a strong defensive effort held the Cardinals to just 34.4% shooting in the final 20 minutes to secure the win. In the victory over Virginia Tech, UNC shot 60.9% from the floor in the second half and outrebounded the Hokies 34-22.
- On Monday, March 2, 2026, the Tar Heels defeated Louisville 77-74.
- On Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Tar Heels defeated Virginia Tech 89-82.
The players
Seth Trimble
A North Carolina player who scored a career-high 30 points in the win over Louisville.
Henri Veesaar
A North Carolina player who scored 26 points, tying his career high, in the win over Virginia Tech.
What’s next
In a game with significant ACC Tournament seeding implications, the Tar Heels host Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC) Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Smith Center before making the short trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday to face No. 1 Duke. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. in Durham.
The takeaway
The Tar Heels' climb in the rankings demonstrates their ability to secure quality wins against ranked opponents, positioning them well for a strong finish to the regular season and a favorable seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament.
