With the way they’ve been playing, the North Carolina Tar Heels deserve a top seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.
UNC (27-6, 17-3 ACC), the ACC’s top seed, has won its last eight games. Thanks to an RJ Davis-led second half push against Pitt on Friday, North Carolina will be playing longtime, in-state rival NC State in Saturday night’s ACC Championship (8:30 p.m. ET).
The only issue – Arizona and Tennessee have been just a step ahead of the Tar Heels. Arizona (25-8, 15-5) is the PAC-12’s best team, while the Volunteers (24-8, 24-4) led the SEC.
Conference tournament results might have switched up the seeding a little bit.
Tennessee got smoked by Mississippi State in yesterday’s SEC quarterfinals, while Oregon won comfortably (67-59) against the Wildcats.
With UNC’s hot streak, which includes two ACC tournament wins already, there’s a strong case made for it to take that 1-seed in the Big Dance. North Carolina also has fewer losses – not a number that determines seeding – but is something worth looking at come Selection Sunday.
That No. 1 seed (likely out west) should officially be locked up for #UNC with Arizona and Tennessee both losing today.
From not even making the tournament last season to a No. 1 seed the next.
Not too shabby, eh?
— Jacob Turner (@JacobTurnerTHI) March 16, 2024
If UNC can beat NC State for a third time this season, that top seed will all but be locked up. Want to look at another reason for giving North Carolina a 1-seed? It beat Tennessee head-to-head.
Regardless of where the Tar Heels end up, they are playing their best basketball at the right time.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.