[cuppett777]

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Williams Optimistic For UNC's 2011-2012 Season
UNC's coach Roy Williams talks to Andy Katz about the upcoming season for the Tar Heels.
Tags: UNC, Roy Williams, Andy KatzCoaches' Poll First Look
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Coaches' Poll First Look
Coaches' Poll First LookEamonn Brennan looks at three teams that could be under-valued in the preseason Coaches' Poll.Tags: Coaches' Poll, Top 25, Eamonn BrennanWilliams Optimistic For UNC's 2011-2012 Season
Williams Optimistic For UNC's 2011-2012 SeasonUNC's coach Roy Williams talks to Andy Katz about the upcoming season for the Tar Heels.Tags: UNC, Roy Williams, Andy KatzVitale Season Preview
Vitale Season PreviewDick Vitale discusses his diaper dandies, players to watch and National championship prediction.Tags: SportsCenter, Dick Vitale, Dickie V, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barners, Ashton Gibbs, Jared SullengerDarius Miller At Kentucky Media Day
Darius Miller At Kentucky Media DayDana O'Neil catches up with Kentucky's Darius Miller, a senior on a youthful team. North Carolina was one first-place vote away from being a unanimous preseason No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.


ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Preseason Poll
The top five teams in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' preseason poll:


UNC
UK
Ohio St.
UConn
Syracuse
• Coaches' preseason rankings
• Topics Page: Champions Classic
• FAB 50 preseason rankings


The Tar Heels, the heavy favorite to win the 2012 national championship, received 30 of the coaches' 31 first-place votes and outranked No. 2 Kentucky by 53 points (774 to 721) in the poll, which was released Thursday.

North Carolina returns a core of top players, including sophomore forward Harrison Barnes. He and three of his teammates -- John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller -- are among the 50 players to appear on the Wooden Award's preseason list.

UNC won the ACC regular-season title last season before losing in the NCAA tournament in the East Regional final, finishing 29-8.

Ohio State, defending champion Connecticut and Syracuse fill out the ESPN/USA Today poll's first five. The Buckeyes have excellent talent returning in Wooden preseason candidates Jared Sullinger, William Buford, and Aaron Craft.

Rounding out the coaches' top 10: Duke, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Memphis and Florida.

Pittsburgh comes next in the poll, as coaches put four Big East teams in the top 11. The Panthers are followed by Baylor, Kansas, Wisconsin, Xavier, Arizona, Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M and UCLA.

Marquette, Cincinnati, Gonzaga, California and Missouri complete the Top 25. Butler, which lost to UConn in the NCAA final and finished second to the Huskies in the final poll of last season, is not among the preseason Top 25.

North Carolina will meet unranked Michigan State in one of the most anticipated early-season matchups -- in terms of geography, at least. The teams will meet in the Carrier Classic on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on Veterans Day in San Diego, and President Barack Obama is expected to attend.

On Nov. 15, Kentucky meets No. 13 Kansas and No. 6 Duke plays Michigan State in the Champions Classic at New York's Madison Square Garden. The event will rotate to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and United Center in Chicago in the following years.

[Stardust]

I would give it to them in preseason

[bigben]

they can have it for the preseason because UK will have won it at the end of the season

[Stardust]

That's why they play the games, talk is talk! Just like my own UK fans claiming the national championship before a game is ever played.

[bigben]

^ we only speak the truth

[Stardust]

^ LOL, you better not be laying out the jinx......

[Scotty doesn't know]

Completely agree. There is no reason at all to not put all of the expectations in the world on North Carolina's shoulders. They have all of the components that allow for most people to get behind them. This is length, depth, athleticism, and (what everyone talks about as the biggest difference in UNC and UK) experience. I really have not problem at all with North Carolina begin the out right number one but in no way does that mean that I expect them to cut down the nets. One aspect of UNC's team is a glowing weakness.... Shooting. And that is the weakness that WILL come back and hit hard in the tourney. So the Tar Heels can have to pressure right now but I will take Kentucky in the end.

[bigben]

^ Very well put