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UNC Bracketology predictions: Tar Heels pick up Quad 1 win, need more for March Madness
No team has been more fascinating than North Carolina, a preseason No. 1 team that is now in danger of not making it to March Madness. Though it looked like the Tar Heels might be dead in the water, though, they gave themselves some life over the weekend.
UNC picked up its first Quad 1 win of the season in Chapel Hill on Saturday with a decisive 71-63 victory over Virginia after the Heels were a disastrous 0-9 in such games previously. What’s interesting is their record is now 1-8 against Quad 1 teams, though, as Miami’s loss to Florida State on Saturday as well dropped the Hurricanes from Quad 1, pushing that to a Quad 2 loss for Hubert Davis’ team.
Sitting a 18-11 entering Monday night’s game in Tallahassee against the aforementioned Seminoles, North Carolina is in a position to help itself. It still has no Quad 3 or 4 losses this season while sitting at 5-3 in Quad 2. As Jerry Palm noted, though, it needs to helps itself by picking up another Quad 1 win.
As things currently stand, their opportunity to do that could come Saturday in the regular-season finale against rival Duke, which would currently be a Quad 1 opponent. However, there is also a chance that UNC could have to wait until the ACC Tournament for its next chance at picking up the much-needed Quad 1 win.
Coming into the final week, though, the Tar Heels are in the First Four Out for both Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm’s projections with the agreement being they need another proverbial signature win on the resumé.