The Tar Heels' loss to Iowa State didn't come out of nowhere—and they weren't the only Phil Knight Invitational team to disappoint.
There will be a new No. 1 in men’s college basketball next week.
North Carolina’s loss to Iowa State Friday is the humbling that had seemingly been looming since the start of the season: A defeat to an unranked foe that again exposed the troubles the Tar Heels have had living up to the expectations set by last year’s run to the national title game.
The case for North Carolina as the nation’s top team entering 2022–23 (as it was in both major polls as well as Sports Illustrated’s rankings) was built far more on the eye test than analytics.