Nov. 2, 2007

The University of North Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 2007-08 preseason men's basketball Associated Press poll, which was released by the AP on Friday afternoon.

Carolina also took the top spot in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches preseason poll, released last week. The last time UNC topped both preseason polls was the 1986-87 season.

This is the sixth season in which the AP has selected the Tar Heels No. 1 to begin the season. UNC was also No. 1 in the initial AP poll in 1977-78, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1986-87 and 1993-94.

The No. 1 ranking marks the 17th different season in which the Tar Heels have reached the No. 1 spot in at least one AP poll. Carolina has been ranked No. 1 by the AP in the following seasons: 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1977-78, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

This is the 83rd poll in which the Tar Heels are No. 1 in the AP rankings. That is fourth-best all-time behind UCLA (134), Duke (110) and Kentucky (88).

This is the ninth season in 20 years as a head coach that Roy Williams has guided his team to No. 1 in the AP poll for at least one week.