While the sole focus is on taking care of business in front of them, it doesn't hurt for the UNC basketball program to get some help in their pursuit of an NCAA Tournament bid.
One of the major "bubble watch" games swung in the Tar Heels favor, as Ohio State lost to Iowa on Wednesday. With the loss, it's presumed that the Buckeyes will not be included in this year's NCAA Tournament field.
Following North Carolina's victory over Notre Dame, along with the Buckeyes loss, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi now has the Tar Heels among his "Last Four In" section of his projections.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 13, 2025
The Tar Heels are essentially on the cusp of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, with their next challenge (a meeting with Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals) being another tough one. Currently, Lunardi has the Demon Deacons as one of his "Next Four Out" teams, as the loser of this game will essentially drop out of the mix completely.
As is always the case in March, it's simply "Do or Die."
While we know North Carolina has to handle its own business, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on how the other "bubble teams" fare in their conference tournaments. Ohio State's loss served as a major boost for the UNC basketball program, but now its time for them to take advantage of the situation ahead of them and continue winning basketball games to show the committee that they belong in the NCAA Tournament field.