CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels return one of their most-experienced lineups in seven seasons.
North Carolina received 60 of 89 first-place votes from media members at Wednesday’s ACC media day, leading two-time regular-season champion Virginia and defending NCAA Tournament champion Duke. The Tar Heels return four starters and nine of its 10 leading scorers from last year’s team, which finished 26-12.
“Our goal is the Final Four and a national championship,” sophomore guard Justin Jackson said. “Anything less than that will be a disappointment for us, because we know we have a lot of pieces and we have the right pieces to be able to make a long run.