Step one in North Carolina's plan to make the NCAA Tournament is complete: crush Notre Dame. The Tar Heels did that, 76-56, and are heading to the ACC quarterfinals on Thursday, when they'll play Wake Forest, another team clinging to its bubble life.
Is UNC a tournament team? It's still hard to tell — if the season ended right now, I don't think they get in, but I'm not going to run around Chapel Hill screaming the bad news to everyone. The Heels are still squarely on the bubble, and at 21-12 (and 1-11 in Quad 1 games) Hubert Davis' team more than likely needs a win tomorrow to solidify its standing inside the field.
A weak ACC hasn't done UNC any favors this year — but the team didn't do itself many favors either, losing to pretty much all of the good teams on its schedule. Beating one of Kansas, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan State, or the top ACC teams would make this an easier path for UNC. Instead, fans still wait with baited breath for Selection Sunday.
Hubert David and North Carolina are squarely on the bubble
North Carolina might be stuck in the middle. After crushing Notre Dame on Wednesday afternoon, the Tar Heels showed that they're a league above the bottom dwellers in the conference.
But they're also 0-4 against the top four teams in the conference this year —Duke, Louisville, Clemson and Wake Forest — showing there's a gap between the top four teams in the conference and everyone else.
Tomorrow's game against Wake Forest might be the difference-maker for UNC, one way or the other. A promising win could propel them into the field. A disappointing loss might keep them out. No pressure!
Tar Heels fans should also cheer against other teams on the bubble, because UNC will theoretically need to replace one of them to secure a spot. Ohio State, Xavier, Texas, San Diego State and Oklahoma are all teams that UNC fans can learn to hate in the next 24 hours.