The tight point spread between North Carolina and VCU shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, because Thursday night's game is expected to be one of, if not the most competitive games of the first weekend.
And Rams coach Phillip Martelli is playing right into it. He appeared on the Jim Rome Show on Tuesday with the expectation that this game will be a tense battle from start to finish.
"It'll be a typical 6-11 war right from the jump on Thursday night."
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) March 17, 2026
@pmjr10 previews @VCU_Hoops matchup with North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/0TH8RDp7nR
"I think we present [some challenges] for them with the way we play, our style. We'll have to be ready to go because it'll be a typical 6-11 war right from the jump," Martelli said.
Phillip Martelli expects a tough battle vs. UNC in the NCAA Tournament
This game takes on a much different shape for the Tar Heels since the loss of superstar freshman Caleb Wilson. With Wilson on the floor, expectations were through the roof. Without Wilson on the floor, expectations remain incredibly high, but the Tar Heels have still been working through ways to replace the numbers that the team's leading scorer and rebounder gave them.
Martelli said that despite the loss of Wilson, the Tar Heels still have plenty of options on offense and, it starts with Henri Veesaar. The 7-foot junior transfer from Arizona has been assertive in the half-court offense all season and seems to be playing his best ball at the right time. Veesaar had season highs in points (28) and rebounds (17) in the one-point loss to Clemson in the ACC quarterfinals.
"They're typical Carolina. They can get out in transition, play in transition," Martelli added. "In the half court they're really good with their stuff. A lot of it goes through Veesaar. The guards are good, and they have enough shooting, and then they get on the offensive glass with their size and athleticism."
VCU is no stranger to the tournament as a program and the minute this matchup was announced, UNC was immediately on upset alert. It's likely going to come down to the final possessions and that's where the Tar Heels' experience, led by Seth Trimble, will have to come into play. Martelli is right, it's likely going to be a war because nothing seems easy for this UNC team right now. But the Tar Heels have enough to get through it and advance to Saturday.