NCAA Basketball: Buy or sell Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina?
North Carolina Tar Heels
Their best player from a season ago is averaging 23.3 minutes per game in the NBA, but the prospect of a better season was supposed to arrive with the start of the 2020-21 schedule for the Tar Heels. The 18.5 points and four assists Cole Anthony provided at point guard have not been replicated in the scoring category by current point guard Caleb Love and it shows. The 69 points the Tar Heels average in ACC play, is four points fewer than they averaged in their deemed disastrous season last year.
Their freshmen guards have alternated starts the last four conference games, which included a one-point and a two-point victory to put their ACC record at 3-2 after defeating Syracuse. With all five conference games being decided by six points or less, there are two glaring statistical categories that are weighing them down.
Despite the fact that the Tar Heels sit as the highest in the NET of all these teams at No. 53 while being ranked No. 27 in Strength of Schedule, it is no excuse for a team to average 16 turnovers per game while shooting under 40 percent from the field in conference play. Putting them last in the ACC in both categories.
With Anthony Harris having no clear date to make his season debut, one can only hope he returns in order to help the Tar Heels in March. They will need help, for, despite the No.53 NET ranking, Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology has North Carolina as an eleven seed.
That seeding would entail the Tar Heels getting past a three-seed, in order to make it to the Sweet 16, and even if it is Michigan or Illinois come March, the Tar Heels would have a challenge. If the Tar Heels would be able to replace fellow ACC member Virginia Tech, that would still leave them having to defeat a two seed.
The Tar Heels would need to get on the five or four-line to have a chance at the Sweet 16 and they would have to win the ACC to get a chance at the seed. With those prospects, there is but just one thing to do when it comes to North Carolina’s prospects of making it to the Sweet 16.
Order: Sell