UNC Basketball: A path to the NCAA Tournament for the Tar Heels

Although the UNC basketball program is currently a “bubble team” for the NCAA Tournament, Joe Lunardi feels there’s a path for the Tar Heels to make the big dance.

With just a few weeks remaining in the college basketball regular season, the talk has surrounded around the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

For the UNC basketball program, they have some work to do in order to secure their bid. Based on the latest bracketology rankings, the Tar Heels are listed among the “Last Four In,” a spot they were dropped to after their blowout loss to Duke on Saturday evening.

Of course, Tar Heels fans are probably worried about their favorite team’s tournament status. Although social media makes you think that Hubert Davis’ team is destined for the NIT, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi wants fans to pump on the breaks a bit.

In a recent article, Lunardi expressed that the Tar Heels are, in fact, in bubble trouble. However, he also believes that there is a “clear prescription” for North Carolina to not only earn a NCAA tournament bid, but also receive a fairly favorable seed.

Lunardi discusses everything that we’ve already established:

-The Tar Heels have struggled in Quad 1 games, and only have two possible Q1 games before the ACC Tournament.

-In all other games, North Carolina has won their contests by an average of 15.6 points.

Based on these two factors, it simply shows that this is the profile of a bubble team.

Of course, the Tar Heels could go winless the rest of the way and not make the tournament at all, which would be of course their own fault. However, that most likely won’t happen, so it will be up to this year’s squad to make the most of their final stretch of the season.

This is what Lunardi thinks the Tar Heels must do in order to find their way into March Madness:

"All North Carolina has to do the rest of the way is be among the best of a mediocre lot. And I believe, from a strictly basketball standpoint, that Carolina has the talent to continue winning the games it should and eventually steal one or two 50/50 matchups. That would put them in the NCAA tournament, avoid the First Four, and give them a decent shot in a 6 vs. 11 or 7 vs. 10 first-round game.Take it a step further to the ACC tournament. Is there any team other than Duke that the Tar Heels can’t beat on a neutral floor? Isn’t reaching the ACC championship game well within the plausible range? Of course it is. And, if that happens, North Carolina will be a single-digit seed in the four-letter tournament."

Based on the most recent stretch of games, the Tar Heels may have a favorable edge on the teams that are considered “bubble teams,” such as Oklahoma, BYU, Creighton, Mississippi State and Memphis.

Even with the Duke loss, North Carolina is 4-1 in their last five games. Take the five teams listed above and they have a combined 9-16 record in that span.

As Lunardi noted, most teams will play themselves out of tournament contention rather than in.

The ACC Tournament could also be a great place for the Tar Heels to make a statement. A run to the finals and a potential third matchup with the Blue Devils could all but assure them a spot in the field.

Of course, the Tar Heels must take it one game at a time. However, hearing what Lunardi has to say should make the fan base and those around the program calm down a bit about the team’s tournament chances.

It’s simple: control your own destiny and win as many games as you can over the final stretch of the season. Based on the upcoming schedule, it’s possible that this team can do it.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding the UNC basketball program.