Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and guard Derek Dixon (3) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) and guard Seth Trimble (7) come back on the court during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Here's Where Tar Heels Rank After Weekend Result

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Logan Lazarczyk | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 11:00 AM ET

After losing to the SMU Mustangs on Saturday, the North Carolina Tar Heels slid five spots to No. 17 in the latest AP Poll college basketball rankings, which were released on Monday. With the loss, the Tar Heels' dropped to 13-2, while seeing their seven-game winning streak snap in a tough road defeat.

North Carolina was thoroughly outplayed, especially in the second half when the Mustangs shot over 70 percent from the field, including 9-of-15 from three-point range. It was not a good representation of the Tar Heels, who have proven to be one of the best defensive teams in the country. Allowing 97 points to SMU was certainly not part of the plan for head coach Hubert Davis and his players.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Th fashion in which North Carolina suffered its second loss of the season is probably the reason it slipped as far as it did on Monday.

Here are some takeaways from the Tar Heels' latest spot in the updated AP Poll rankings.

Was This Movement Justified?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Yes, North Carolina falling all the way down to the 17th spot is completely justified, as the Tar Heels were exposed on multiple fronts in the loss to SMU. For one, guard play continues to underwhelm for North Carolina, as Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac have both struggled to string together multiple solid outings in a row. It has been too hit or miss for those two players. This is especially concerning when Evans is the only true point guard on the roster, which Davis does not necessarily agree with.

“I don’t determine this guy is a point guard, this guy’s a two guard, he’s a small forward,” Davis said. “I want basketball players who can handle the basketball.”

“Just having multiple ball handlers out there against teams that pressure, like SMU, that they don’t dictate and decide how efficient we play on the offensive end,” Davis continued. “We’re able to get to our sets, get into scoring positions, and just finding different combinations that give us multiple players that be able to do that.”

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The second concerning factor, which also led to the Tar Heels' slipping, is the fact that they can be exposed against formidable guard play. North Carolina's size was used against them, as the Mustangs forced the Tar Heels' big men to step out to the perimeter, which opened vacated space in the paint, allowing Boopie Miller to drive and kick the ball out to open shooters.

“Those are things that we’ll talk about [Monday] at practice and in the film room and make sure that that was a one-game thing and not something that will consistently happen in games,” Davis said.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: