Feb 14, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and center Henri Veesaar (13) on the bench in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

UNC Slips in Latest AP Poll

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Justin Backer | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The North Carolina Tar Heels took a significant tumble in this week’s AP Poll rankings, falling five spots from #11 to #16 after going 1-1 last week.

The Tar Heels had previously jumped up to #11 after their miraculous comeback victory over Duke the week prior. However, after an up-and-down week, the Tar Heels find themselves outside of the top 15 once again.

North Carolina was defeated 75-66 in wire-to-wire fashion on the road against the unranked Miami Hurricanes, a game in which their best player, Caleb Wilson, suffered a fracture in his left hand, and will be out for a significant period of time. After that loss, the Tar Heels were able to bounce back with a 79-65 win over Pitt despite not having Wilson, and center Henri Veesaar, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their slide in the rankings.

Wilson’s Injury Presents Challenge

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Life without Wilson might be tough sledding for the Tar Heels. Wilson is averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor, and averaging over a block and a steal on defense. While UNC still has talented players outside of Wilson, his absence drastically affects their ceiling for the remainder of the regular season, and possibly into the NCAA Tournament.

They got solid contributions out of their reverses in the form of Zayden High, and Jarin Stevenson against Pitt, and they’ll need them to continue to step up as the star Heels will be faced with the likes of NC State, Syracuse, #21 Louisville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and #3 Duke in their remaining games.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Around the ACC

Some other notable changes in the ACC include Duke jumping from #4 to #3, Virginia jumping from #15 to #14, Louisville going from #24 to #21, and Clemson receiving 55 votes after being dropped from the top 25, and Miami receiving 10 votes. The Tar Heels have earned wins over Duke, and Virginia this season, and will look to earn wins over the other top teams in the ACC throughout the final stretch.

North Carolina’s record now sits at 20-5 on the season, and 8-4 in ACC play. Despite a rough week, the Tar Heels are still on track to earn a fairly high seed in the NCAA Tournament as long as they can survive Wilson’s absence. They’ll look to finish the season strong, and avoid any other difficult losses as Selection Sunday inches closer with each passing day.

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

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