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NCAA Tournament 2017 Sweet 16: Grading Each Team’s Title Hopes

By Cody Williams

March 18, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jordan Mathews (4) and guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) react against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
March 18, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jordan Mathews (4) and guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) react against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 19, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) dunks the ball in the closing second of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) dunks the ball in the closing second of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

North Carolina Tar Heels (1) – South Region

After being in the National Championship Game one year ago and coming within a buzzer-beater of forcing overtime, the North Carolina Tar Heels again appeared to be in the conversation of the top contenders to win it all in 2017 entering the NCAA Tournament. After a dominant win over a 16-seed, that still seemed to be the case. Then the Arkansas game happened and, well, there are questions.

North Carolina played about as bad as they have all season (save for maybe their 43-point outing against Virginia) and still managed to survive, albeit not without some referee-induced controversy. Joel Berry struggled in every facet of the game, something hugely detrimental to UNC considering how heavily they lean on their point guard play for their success. What’s more, they seemed to get frustrated with the physical defense of the Razorbacks and ultimately play into their hands to make the situation dire.

However, that might actually be a positive for the Tar Heels. In their best form, North Carolina can beat any team in the country. They have high-caliber talent on every level, rebound better than any team in the country and are also a solid and versatile defensive team. So that they were able to survive what is likely going to be their worst game of the tournament could be a good sign moving forward.

Even still, it’s hard to put their chances on the same level as Kansas because of that Arkansas game. They’re up in that mix, though, and seeing the Tar Heels back in the National Championship Game is most definitely a viable possibility.

Chances: High, But Volatile

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