An updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket after the North Carolina Tar Heels advanced to the Elite Eight with a win over Butler
Despite coming into the 2017 NCAA Tournament as one of the favorites, the North Carolina Tar Heels looked like anything but in their Second Round win over Arkansas. Though they pulled out an ugly and controversial win, there was one thought that remained prevalent: If they played like that against the Butler Bulldogs in the Sweet 16, they wouldn’t be advancing to the Elite Eight.
Any worry that would be the case for North Carolina fans was put to rest in a hurry, though. The Tar Heels came off the opening tip looking like a team possessed and a team far superior to the opposing Bulldogs. Kennedy Meeks and the unlikely Luke Maye were dominant on the boards and extending possessions. Meanwhile, Justin Jackson and Joel Berry were then able to attack with ease on the perimeter.
They put up 52 points in the first half, accruing a monster 16-point lead. And it was all cruise control from that point forward.
RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket
Though Kelan Martin and company for Butler tried to cut into the lead, they ultimately couldn’t come up with an answer for the Tar Heels’ size or explosiveness. They outscored North Carolina in the second half, but just barely as they saw triple-zeroes hit with the final score at 92-80.
Now that the Tar Heels have advanced to the Elite Eight, let’s take a look at the updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket:
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The South Regional Final in the Elite Eight could well be the game of the entire tournament. With North Carolina facing either the Kentucky Wildcats or the UCLA Bruins, sparks will fly. But for now, the Tar Heels seemed to have righted the ship and are on course for another trip to the Final Four.