UNC basketball is gearing up for the NCAA Tournament, but their path in March Madness hinges on the health of key frontcourt players Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar.
The Tar Heels, sitting at No. 20 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP Top 15, have faced challenges without Wilson and Veesaar. Their absence was felt in a tough loss to N.C.
State at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, where the Wolfpack capitalized on the opportunity to secure a significant win. Despite this setback, UNC (20-6, 8-5 ACC) has five more games to bolster their tournament resume.
Let’s dive into the latest bracketology and NCAA Tournament projections for the Tar Heels as of February 18.
UNC Basketball NCAA Tournament Resume
UNC is currently ranked 28th in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings. Through 26 games, they hold a 5-6 record in Quadrant 1 matchups and an impressive 15-0 in Quadrants 2-4.
With four of their final five games offering Q1 opportunities, the Tar Heels have a chance to strengthen their standing. In the quadrant system, Q1 games include home games against teams ranked No. 1-30, neutral-site games against teams ranked No. 1-50, and away games against opponents ranked No.
1-75.
Latest NCAA Tournament Projections
Here's where the Tar Heels stand in the latest bracketology as of February 18:
- ESPN: Before the loss to N.C. State, Joe Lunardi placed UNC as a No. 6 seed in the East Region, set to start in Tampa, Fla., against either No. 11 seed Santa Clara or No. 11 seed TCU.
- CBS Sports: Projects UNC as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, facing No. 11 seed Texas A&M.
- USA TODAY: Has UNC as a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, matched up against No. 12 Yale in Philadelphia.
- On3: Lists UNC as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, potentially facing No. 11 Ohio State or No. 11 UCF in Tampa.
- FOX Sports: Puts the Tar Heels as a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, against No. 12 seed Yale.
- EvanMiya: Ranks the Tar Heels 24th in resume quality, projecting them as a No. 6-8 seed.
- Torvik: Bart Torvik's projections have UNC trending toward a 6 or 7 seed, leaning more toward the 7 line recently.
- Bracket Matrix: This composite uses 124 bracket projections, consistently placing UNC as a No. 5 or 6 seed, with a trend toward the No. 6 line.
As UNC navigates the final stretch of the regular season, their focus will be on regaining full strength and seizing those critical Q1 opportunities to solidify their tournament position.