UNC Basketball: Takeaways from Tar Heels blowout loss to Miami

3. Avoid bad losses

North Carolina will be an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament if it just gives itself a chance. Sure, they will need more quality wins than they currently have, but those will almost certainly come in time as the season continues to unfold. A plethora of decent wins will also likely be enough to push the Heels into the NCAA Tournament if they can just avoid taking bad losses.

Bad losses come in two different forms. First, are the losses that come against most mid-majors and lower-tier power conference opponents. UNC has done an excellent job of avoiding those so far this season. Emphasis on “so far,” as there are a minimum of 15 league games left before Selection Sunday, several of which will come against the likes of Boston College, Pittsburgh, and even at home against a team like N.C. State.

The second form that bad losses take is the one UNC has experienced twice in the last month—the embarrassing blowout loss. By itself, a loss to Kentucky on a neutral site or to Miami on the road is not particularly damaging. However, losing those games by 29 and 28 points makes them stick out on an NCAA Tournament resume.

If UNC can simply avoid bad losses the rest of the season, they will almost certainly get enough wins to earn an at-large bid. As much as things have swung towards objectivity and parody in recent years, that name on the front of those Carolina blue jerseys still means something come Selection Sunday. Just give yourself a chance.