We know what the North Carolina Tar Heels have to do in Greensboro to make sure they aren’t the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament. And it’s no easy task.
To guarantee UNC is in the field, it needs to win four games in four days as the automatic qualifier. However, there is a small chance it could get in with three wins in three days depending on how events elsewhere shake out.
Another scenario is a rematch with Duke in the ACC final for all the marbles. It’s something ESPN listed as one of the rematches it wants to see during Championship Week:
Last year, UNC spoiled Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement party when it defeated Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and advanced to the national championship game with another victory over its instate rival. In his first year as Coach K’s successor, Jon Scheyer returned the favor, sweeping the Tar Heels and returning the Blue Devils to the perch in this rivalry.
A third meeting in the ACC tournament could help Duke hammer home its vengeance for last season’s results. It’s an unlikely pairing since UNC would have to make a run to the title game for it to happen, but here’s hoping. Any loss in the ACC Tournament after all could send the preseason No. 1 team to the NIT and complete one of the greatest falls in NCAA history. The stakes are high.
There would be a lot on the line in this one as ESPN notes.
UNC could punch its ticket to the big dance and salvage a game in this series after losing the first two. For Duke, it could spoil UNC’s tournament chances (if it hasn’t already) and put the nail in the coffin with a three-game sweep.
The thing about the ACC Tournament is, you never really know what’s going to happen.
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