College Basketball Power 10: Big 12 Continues To Dominate
By Jeremy Karll
9. North Carolina (17-3)
After questioning North Carolina for a couple of weeks, the Tar Heels are back in the top 10. They responded to losing two times in four games with five straight wins, including a 13-point win over Florida State.
Losing to Georgia Tech by 12 and then only beating Clemson by three to start ACC play looks like a mere bump in the road for one of the most talented teams in the country.
Last week, North Carolina put their struggles behind them and handily beat ranked Florida State and then took down Syracuse 85-68 on Monday night.
Since losing to Georgia Tech, junior Justin Jackson has arguably been North Carolina’s best player. In the past five games, Jackson is averaging 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which is up from his season averages of 17.9 points and 4.8 boards per contest.
The Tar Heels have been waiting for Jackson to break out of his shell and prove he can be a go-to player on a team loaded with talent.
His versatility helps them on both ends and gives North Carolina arguably the most talented frontcourt in the nation with Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks also down low.
North Carolina’s only game this week is on the road at Boston College.