North Carolina’s win over Duke wasn’t important just because it secured the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and a sweep of their arch-rival. It was also important for NCAA Tournament seeding.
The result was the first component in a perfect storm for North Carolina on Saturday that bolstered its chances of receiving a No. 1 seed. Before the Tar Heels’ win over Duke, Tennessee was upset at home by Kentucky. After the Tar Heels’ game, Arizona was stunned on the road at USC in the ESPN night game.
Those results opened a path for the Tar Heels to get the fourth and final No. 1 seed as they are battling the Volunteers and Wildcats. Tennessee holds the spot now, and UNC will need a lot to happen before it can celebrate a No. 1 seed. However, it moved up in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology.
The Tar Heels are the fifth seed overall and the top No. 2 seed in the bracket per Lunardi:
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 10, 2024
North Carolina has work to do and likely needs to either win or reach the ACC title game depending on what Tennessee does. With the ACC title game taking place on Saturday, the committee has at least a plan of what the seeds will be going into Sunday.
Obviously, circumstances can change, but UNC needs Tennessee to lose in the SEC Tournament, the earlier the better.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.