Dickie V has his pre-season Top 40 out, and not surprisingly, UNC is #1. Duke comes in at #9. Virginia Tech clocks in at #20, Miami at 21, Wake at #29, and Clemson at #32.
Everyone is conceding the title to UNC, and they are loaded. But they've been loaded for the last three years, too, and what's happened? 2005-06 - Mason. 2006-07 - Georgetown. 2007-08 - Kansas.
Mason was a significant upset. Georgetown was a late-game collapse, with the Heels hitting only one of 23 baskets.
And then there was Kansas. UNC went down 40-12. It's still hard to believe. They get credit for a comeback that made Kansas nervous, cutting the lead to 64-59. But Kansas just did it to them again, and won by 18.
So should they be the favorite? Yeah. But after three major chokes in a row, do they have something to prove?
They have a lot to prove.