UNC Basketball: Keys for Tar Heels Round of 64 opener against Iona

3. Don’t Play Down to Your Opponent

Ignore the flashy record that shows how often — and how badly — the top seeds dominate the lowest of the low-seeds in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Throw it out all together. History says that upsets of the highest degree, a No. 16 over a No. 1, are practically impossible, which has led to the nation’s top four teams barely daring to care, year after year, simply walking into their first matchup of the tournament with a ‘W’ on their minds and nothing more, nothing less.

Virginia was one such team to do that last season, and, by sleepwalking through the first half against a desperate UMBC team (and by also playing undermanned and suffering with the coldest of cold shooting nights), the Cavaliers were sent home packing faster than any top seed in NCAA history.

To the coaching staff, players, trainers and team personnel of No. 1 North Carolina — do not sleepwalk into this game. Do not treat this like any other game, any other opponent. Do not play down to your opponent.

Each and every game in the late weeks of March and early weeks of April are to be cherished cautiously, especially if you’re a perennial title contender like Roy Williams’ UNC program. Plenty of teams underestimate their opponents, entering their matchups against lower seeds without fear, without a second-thought that they could lose. And, half the time, those teams lose because of it.

It’s possible that that is what happened to last year’s No. 2 UNC team that entered a (seemingly) favorable matchup against lower-seeded Texas A&M, believing that they had the game in the bag, only to their teeth kicked in in 40 painful minutes of basketball. For what it’s worth, you don’t really see that same issue with this Carolina team. While last year’s roster dealt with occasional episodes of malaise and apathetic play (with plenty of bad losses), this year’s squad features a renewed sense of urgency, with guys up and down the roster not taking any minute for granted (ever since the home embarrassment to Louisville, really).

There’s a blueprint to winning the No. 1 versus No. 16 matchup. Hell, practically every team has nailed it, and UNC should be able to as well. The talent gap is enormous. History is on UNC’s side.

But still, don’t take this for granted. Start the weekend strong and let that energy carry on throughout the rest of the Tournament run, however long that ends up being. Starting the tournament off on the right foot is huge.

And, please, for the sake of Tar Heel fans throughout the Carolinas and throughout the country that will be watching tentatively on Saturday night:

Don’t be Virginia.