UNC Basketball: College hoops analyst says UNC is No. 1 ‘dark horse’

According to at least one college basketball analyst and insider, the UNC basketball program is the top “dark horse” in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have had their ups and downs this season; there’s very little argument about that. When they’ve been good, they’re been really good, like in wins over Louisville, Duke (twice), Florida State at home and Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament. You could even make an argument for how they played in a couple of losses to Florida State this season, or in a narrow defeat against the Texas Longhorns.

On the other hand, when the Tar Heels have been bad this season, they’ve been really bad. That’s been evidenced on a number of occasions this season, perhaps none more than in games at NC State and Clemson, as well as a deflating home loss to a Marquette squad that wasn’t even initially on the schedule.

NCAA.com‘s Andy Katz recently said as much when he picked the Tar Heels as his No. 1 “dark horse” in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The renown college basketball analyst and digital reporter spoke to their high ceiling when they’re playing well, but also noted their struggles with inconsistency.

"“How can North Carolina be a dark horse? Because they have been all over the map this season, but boy when they are on, they are really good offensively. It just hasn’t happened consistently,” Katz said on the March Madness 365 Podcast. “But Caleb Love has had some moments where he looks like Coby White at times, so they have a potential lead guard in him, and I love their bigs.”"

To Katz’s point, when UNC freshman guard Caleb Love is playing at his best, he’s an incredible scorer, and difficult to stop. For further evidence, ask the Blue Devils and their fans how the feel about Love — he averaged 21.5 points and seven assists in two games against Duke, while knocking down 6-of-11 from three-point range. In other games, however, Love has struggled to shoot, pass, dribble and everything else, but so have most of the other Tar Heels at one point or another.

The Tar Heels’ game against Wisconsin is going to come down to which North Carolina team takes the floor on Friday night. Is it the team that comes out with composure and hits some shots from the perimeter and takes care of the basketball? If it is, I think they win their Round of 64 matchup and move on to face a tough Baylor squad in the next round. But if it’s not, and it’s the team that misses almost all of their three-point attempts, misfires on 11 free throws and turns the ball over 15 times, it’s likely to be a short stay in Indianapolis.

Check back with Keeping It Heel throughout the week as we continue our coverage of the Tar Heels in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, as well as everything UNC basketball.