North Carolina’s basketball team held at the No. 9 spot in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 rankings even though the Tar Heels lost their only game last week.

UNC was ranked ninth when it fell, 87-76, to No. 5 Connecticut last Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, but the Tar Heels are again ninth in this week’s poll.

At 7-2 overall, and 1-0 in the ACC, Carolina is the highest rated ACC team. Clemson, which is 9-0, checks in at No. 13, Duke is No. 21, Virginia No. 22, and Miami is No. 24.

The Hurricanes lost to Colorado on Sunday by 27 points in Brooklyn.

Among Carolina’s nonconference opponents played and still to play, UConn is again No. 5 this week, Oklahoma is No. 11, Tennessee No. 12, and Kentucky is No.14.

UNC has been off since the UConn game, but returns to action Saturday versus Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, and then face the Sooners on Dec. 20 in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte.