The UNC men’s basketball team’s victory over then-undefeated Oklahoma proved what Tar Heel Nation already knew – UNC is a great team this year.
There were some questions in the offseason, most notably whether the Armando Bacot-R.J. Davis duo could lead Carolina back to the NCAA Tournament. How much would UNC head coach Hubert Davis utilize his bench? Will the transfers fit in?
The answers – it’s looking good right now, a lot more and without a doubt.
Carolina sits at 10-3 right now with an ACC win already under its belt – Tuesday night’s convincing, 70-57 road victory over Pitt. The Tar Heels have a tough game next, as they travel to a ranked Clemson squad on Saturday, Jan. 6 for a 12 p.m. ET tip-off.
Because of what it’s done already, UNC jumped up to 12th in the latest NET rankings. Following the win over Pitt, UNC moved up seven spots. They then moved up one more spot on Thursday with the update.
Morning NET update following a 13-point road Q1 win for #UNC
UNC +7 from 20 to 13
Pitt -8 from 41 to 49Upcoming opponents & their current NET ranking for the Heels
@ Clemson (10)
@ NC State (68)
Syracuse (79)— Jordan Falls (@JordanFalls) January 3, 2024
The Tar Heels are 3-3 in Quad 1 games, which are major factors for bubble teams come NCAA Tournament time. This mark means UNC has a few impressive wins under its belt (Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas), but has also lost games that aren’t surprising (Kentucky, UConn, Villanova).
Clemson (10) and N.C. State (71), Carolina’s next two opponents, prove two golden opportunities to boost its resumé for the Big Dance.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.