Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: “Bracketology” Update Two Months From Selection Sunday

By Mark DeMott

Jan 4, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin McKoy (22) reacts with forward Armando Bacot (5) after blocking a shot in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin McKoy (22) reacts with forward Armando Bacot (5) after blocking a shot in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently projects the UNC basketball team to end up on the same seed line that they did a year ago.

It may feel early to talk “Bracketology”, but Selection Sunday is already less than two months away.  With a couple of months of basketball to play prior to the tournament, it is interesting to see where the UNC basketball team stands at this point.

According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Tar Heels are in a situation that is very similar to what they faced a year ago.  His latest update projects Carolina as an 8 seed, the same seed line that the Heels had when they made their surprise run to the Final Four last March.

While the Heels were able to pull off last year’s run from that position, it would be in UNC’s best interest to improve their seed line as much as possible.  The Tar Heels will need to stack wins against seemingly lesser opponents to remove any potential “bubble talk” and should have plenty of opportunities to move up the bracket with games against teams projected to make the field coming up.

Another element to monitor is that the two highest-seeded teams located closest to each regional site play “close to home”.  For UNC, the nearest location is Greensboro, and the Heels have a long history of playing well in the NCAA Tournament in the state of North Carolina.  Lunardi’s current projection has Tennessee and Virginia playing at the Greensboro site.  Carolina would likely need to be the highest (or second highest) seeded team in the ACC to stay in the Tar Heel state.

Other ACC teams in this projection are 4-seed Virginia, 5-seed Miami, 6-seed Duke, 7 Seed NC State, 8-seed Clemson, and 9-seed Pittsburgh.  The Heels still have a combined eight games against those teams, giving them plenty of opportunities to earn potential wins against the field.

When it comes to teams UNC has already faced, they have just two victories against the field, over 9-seed Ohio State and 10-seed College of Charleston.  However, five of Carolina’s six losses are to current tournament teams: 1 seed Alabama, 3 seed Iowa State, 4 seed Virginia, 9 seed Pittsburgh, and 10 seed Indiana.  Their only other loss is to Virginia Tech, which is currently listed in the “Next Four Out” section.

The Tar Heels will look to improve their NCAA Tournament resume throughout the rest of the season, beginning with tonight’s game against Boston College.

Next. Ian Jackson Commits to UNC. dark

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