Ad Disclosure
Dick Vitale weighs in on North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament case
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Dick Vitale has been keeping an eye on North Carolina as it looks to position itself for an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Tar Heels took another step in that direction on Thursday with a win over Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, claiming an 8th win in 9 games. Their only loss in that span has been to Duke: those two will face each other in the conference semifinals on Friday.
Per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Tar Heels are in the Last Four In column, and a victory over the Blue Devils should seal a spot in the field. Their late-season run has impressed Vitale:
The Tar Heels are projected as a No. 11 seed, putting it as a First Four team with San Diego State in the South region. Their NET rating entering Thursday was 36.
Hubert Davis led North Carolina to a Sweet 16 in 2024 after the Tar Heels missed the field altogether in 2023 — a year after they advanced to the national championship game.
It hasn’t been the easiest of seasons for the Tar Heels, but they look to be peaking at the right time, positioning themselves for an at-large bid in the field of 68.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
