Bracketology 2023: What UNC needs to get off bubble watch for March Madness

The North Carolina Tar Heels may have saved their season at the last possible second with a win over Virginia, ending their Quad 1 drought. They will need to put together a very good showing in the ACC Tournament to qualify for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, though. UNC sits at 45th in the NCAA NET rankings and at seventh in the ACC standings. They finish off their season with a rivalry game against Duke.

Bubble Watch

UNC sits on the bubble right now, projected as one of the First Four Out at ESPN and at CBS. They inched their way back up with recent wins, but will still need a few defining wins to wrap up before Selection Sunday. They are joined by ACC opponent Clemson in the first four out.

What teams losing would help UNC?

Teams: Duke, Mississippi State, Boise State

A Duke loss would help because it would signify a UNC win, of course, and Mississippi State and Boise State are two of the Last Four In who have lose-able games at the ends of their seasons and could face some stiff competition in conference tournaments. Wisconsin and Arizona State are also ahead of UNC in the Last Four In, and their losses could benefit the Heels.

Will UNC get in?

UNC has good name recognition and may get the benefit of the doubt, but they did not look like a tournament-ready team for most of this season.

Verdict: They rank high enough in the NCAA NET standings to reach the tourney, but if they fall to Duke and don't make a deep run in the tournament, they're going to find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble. A home win against the Blue Devils is key here.

  
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