Keeping It Heel
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UNC basketball continues to fall in most recent Bracketology

By Nick Delahanty

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 21: Anthony Harris #0, Kerwin Walton #24, R.J. Davis #4, Brady Manek #45, and Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels huddle together during a game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Dean E. Smith Center on December 21, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 21: Anthony Harris #0, Kerwin Walton #24, R.J. Davis #4, Brady Manek #45, and Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels huddle together during a game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Dean E. Smith Center on December 21, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /
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The UNC basketball program continues to slide in the latest Bracketology. Are the Tar Heels inching closer toward not making this year’s NCAA Tournament?

Selection Sunday is still a few weeks away (if you’re keeping tabs, exactly 47 days). However, we’re getting to that point of the college basketball season whereas the days inch closer, the games become more meaningful.

For the UNC basketball program, the last few weeks of the regular season will determine their tournament fate. Based on recent trends, the Tar Heels seem to be trending toward possibly not even making the tournament.

Based on the most recent bracketology by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Hubert Davis’ team is viewed as an “bubble” team. As of now, Lunardi has the Tar Heels making the NCAA tournament in the “last four byes” category.

Looking at the bracket, North Carolina would be the 10th seed in the West Region. If Lunardi’s projections hold true, the Tar Heels would match up with Chris Beard and the Texas Longhorns in the opening round.

Of course, this has a lot of time to change (and trust us, it will). However, it’s safe to say that the Tar Heels’ play over the next few weeks will ultimately decide their fate.

What’s hurting the Tar Heels is their lack of quality wins. All six of their Quad 1 games resulted in losses, and the majority of their 13 victories (11) have come against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents.

North Carolina does not have many Quad 1 games left on their schedule (just two), but it’s necessary that they take advantage of these contests to help bolster their resume. Ugly losses, similar to what we’ve seen recently, won’t cut it, as those types of games will surely trend the Tar Heels in the wrong direction come tournament seeding time.

As previously stated, there’s still plenty of basketball left to be played. However, given the circumstances, it will be up to the Tar Heels to figure out a way to go on a hot stretch and improve their tournament case before the final decisions have to be made.

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