Had Hubert Davis not added anyone to his 2022-23 roster, North Carolina still would have been the preseason No. 1 team in many polls. But with the addition of Pete Nance, the Tar Heels are a likely lock in every ranking, and for very good reason.

UNC’s late-season run revealed a moxie and toughness in the returning players that wasn’t always present during a wobbly regular season laced with inconsistency. But once the Tar Heels started resembling the Tar Heels, the players’ games meshed, and elevated, and they grew in stature. They knew it and they loved it.