UNC Basketball: Latest ESPN Bracketology Update

The 2022-2023 basketball season was a roller coaster ride for the UNC Basketball program and one that did not have a pleasant ending. Tar Heel fans were watching bracketology from several experts down to the final minute leading up to Selection Sunday and wondering which side of the bubble North Carolina would fall on.

Fast forward ten months from last March, and this year's UNC Basketball team is playing with fire and energy, taking the country by storm as they have risen to No. 7 in the most recent Associated Press Top 25. They currently are No. 10 in the ever-important NET Rankings with a 4-3 record versus Quad One opponents and No. 8 in the most recent release of KenPom.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi is beginning to take notice of the Tar Heels after they have won their last four contests, including getting off to a 3-0 start in ACC Play.

Lunardi currently ranks North Carolina as a No. 2 seed in the East Regional paired with 1 seed Connecticut. He projects the Tar Heels will earn the right to stay close to home for the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament with Charlotte being a host site for the first and second rounds. North Carolina is currently projected to be paired with 15-seed Drexel and if they were to advance, see the winner of 7-seed Villanova and 10-seed Cincinnati.

Both of those second round matchups would have all the storylines in the world. North Carolina versus Villanova? A rematch from an earlier game this season in the Battle 4 Atlantis and a rematch of the epic 2016 National Championship game. North Carolina versus Cincinnati? Former UNC Basketball player Wes Miller versus the Tar Heels and Hubert Davis.

The ACC isn't receiving the same respect as the Tar Heels are. Lunardi projects just four other ACC teams that will make the Field of 68: No. 4 seed Duke, No. 4 seed Clemson, No. 9 Seed Miami, and No. 11 seed Wake Forest (in one of the play-in games).

Of course, it is a long two months before Selection Sunday on March 17th and plenty can happen over the next 16 games to change how teams a viewed across all of college basketball. But the Tar Heels are positioning themselves for success with a high seed and potentially competing for one of those four No. 1 overall spots.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on X (formerly Twitter) and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, views, and updates.