UNC Basketball: How far can UNC advance?
By Zack Pearson
Feb 20, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) and guard Marcus Paige (5) react at the end of the game. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Devils 74-66 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The brackets are out and now the anticipation begins.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are seeded sixth in the East region and will kick-off their tournament with a date against eleventh seeded Providence on Friday night. The Tar Heels (23-9) and Friars (23-11) will square off in San Antonio and the winner will move on to the third round of the tournament.
But how far will the Tar Heels go? Is a Sweet Sixteen berth possible? Elite Eight? Or will the Heels falter during the opening weekend?
For the Heels, a sixth seed in the East region is reasonable. The region isn’t as strong as it could be but has some very dangerous teams in it.
The region’s number one seed is fellow ACC team Virginia who won both the regular season and conference tournament championship. The Cavaliers are the fourth overall number one seed and shouldn’t have a problem reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
The team making the most noise in the region is Michigan State who is fresh off a B1G conference championship and is playing their best basketball of the season. Both teams pose problems for the Heels.
While they have a very favorable opening game against Providence, a win could match them up against Iowa State who could give the Heels problems. If Carolina want’s to make a run and get past a good team like Iowa State, they are going to need to play very well on the offensive end of the floor.
The Cyclones are sixth in the nation with 82.9 points per game. An upset from North Carolina Central could be a blessing for the Tar Heels.
Even if the Tar Heels can get past the opening weekend and a potential date with Iowa State, they would have a match-up with either UCONN, Saint Joseph’s or Villanova.
The Tar Heels will have to be on top of their game if they reach the Sweet Sixteen because the competition will be elevated.
It is certain that if the Tar Heels want to reach the Final Four, they will have to at least beat a few teams seeded higher and play their best basketball of the year.
With their current two game streak, the Tar Heels can’t be down on themselves. The NCAA Tournament is a new life and a chance for the team to get hot again. If they can do that, they will make some noise. If not, it could be a short trip for the Tar Heels.
Realistically I see the Tar Heels advancing as far as the Elite Eight before running into Michigan State. The Tar Heels front court will have to play well, which I can see happening if they run into Iowa State or ‘Nova.
It also could be a short trip for the Heels if they struggle right out of the gate against Providence. That has been the Tar Heels weakness all season long and has shown in their past two losses.
The tournament is all about match-ups and it all starts with the individual ones on the court. Now the question is, who will win theirs for the Tar Heels?