March Madness: ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament

North Carolina Tar Heels
1-seed, East Region

The North Carolina Tar Heels enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation. After rolling Duke in Durham on Senior Night, the Heels went on to capture the ACC Tournament title in impressive fashion, beating Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Virginia.

For UNC to continue the run they’re on and cut down the nets in Houston, they’ll need point guard Joel Berry to continue his emergence as the Heels’ go-to scorer in the back court. They’ll need contributions from senior guard Marcus Paige. Brice Johnson will need to continue his first-team All-American play in the front court. And above all else, the Heels will need to show the same toughness and resilience that they have over the past couple of weeks.

It’s that toughness that many have questioned all year-long, mixed with their talent and senior leadership, that puts them above nearly any opponent they could face over the next three weeks.

First round opponent: Florida Gulf Coast

Best potential matchup: Kansas, National Championship

Potential upset: Kentucky, Sweet 16

Best case scenario: National Champion

Prediction: North Carolina beats Kansas to win the National Championship