Tar Heels keep No. 1 spot in rankings

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The North Carolina Tar Heels were a unanimous No. 1 choice by coaches voting in the USA Today/ESPN basketball poll.

The Tar Heels, in their sixth season under Coach Roy Williams, collected all 31 first-place votes in the rankings released Monday.

North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start in the early going this fall after a 36-3 record last season.

Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh, all of the Big East Conference, and Duke round out the top five in the rankings.

Michigan State is No. 6, Texas No. 7, Notre Dame No. 8, Purdue in the ninth spot and Gonzaga No. 10.

Duke is 6-0 so far this season. Connecticut, Pitt and Purdue are 4-0 and Louisville, Michigan State, Texas, Notre Dame and Gonzaga 2-0.

UCLA (3-1) tumbled from fourth to No. 11 after losing to Michigan.