Dick Vitale sends warning to UNC, Kentucky for March Madness

Dick Vitale called out UNC and Kentucky as preseason Top 5 teams whose March Madness hopes now hinge on a strong finish to the season.

The final stretch of the 2022-23 regular season is just about here, which isn’t necessarily good news for college basketball powerhouses like UNC and Kentucky.

The Tar Heels and Wildcats were supposed to be vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament around this time. Instead, they’re both fighting to even get an invite.

Dick Vitale addressed both teams specifically on Twitter, highlighting them as blue bloods who need big wins down the stretch if they want a part of March Madness.

March Madness bracketology: UNC and Kentucky are in danger of missing out

North Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. However, they stumbled badly in late November, losing four straight games to Iowa State, Alabama, Indiana and Virginia Tech. They’ve spent the rest of the season trying to find their feet again but they’ve had little success. They’re coming off losses in four of their last five games with zero Q1 wins in eight tries.

On the plus side, they have two Q1 win opportunities coming up against NC State and Virginia.

The Wildcats were No. 4 in the preseason but they’ve found ways to trip up at regular intervals all season. Since losing to Kansas in late January, they’ve lost two more to Arkansas and Georgia, leaving their resumé weakened.

The opportunities to impress the selection committee coming up are plentiful, however. Four of their final five games are Q1 games.

Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Tar Heels as one of his last four teams in. While the Wildcats are among the first four out. The final games of the season are going to be critical for both teams.