Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball: Takeaways from Day 2 of conference tournament action

By Christian Odjakjian

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 22: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels high fives teammates against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on February 22, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 22: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels high fives teammates against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on February 22, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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ACC Basketball R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
ACC Basketball R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

And then there were eight! Quarterfinals day is officially upon us, as we inch closer to crowning an ACC Basketball Tournament Champion. Wednesday’s four-game slate was very chalky, as all four spread favorites emerged victorious.

Keep reading to find out what I learned from yesterday’s ACC action.

The North Carolina Tar Heels opening-round win proves absolutely nothing

No. 7 seeded North Carolina defeated No. 10 seed Boston College 85-61 on Wednesday night. The Tar Heels are now winners of four of their last five games. So that mean’s they’ve figured it out, right?

Hubert Davis’ crew looked fantastic in the victory. Caleb Love and RJ Davis combined for 40 points on 16-32 shooting, with a 7-14 performance from three-point range. Armando Bacot scored 10 points in just 18 minutes, as he suffered yet another ankle injury, although he appears to be alright. The Tar Heels even got 23 points of production off the bench.

But here’s the thing – this still isn’t an NCAA Tournament team! Is it possible that the committee puts them in because it’s Carolina? Of course. Is it possible UNC puts together a run this week in Greensboro? Absolutely. But this group has always been extremely capable. There are several reasons why this team has failed to live up to expectations, but inconsistent shooting from distance has to be the leading culprit. The Tar Heels shot 10-24 (41.7%) from downtown as a team in this one.

But this blowout win didn’t reveal anything new to me about this group. As great of a job as Earl Grant has done with Boston College this season, it’s still Boston College. UNC did what they needed to do last night, but they still have plenty left to prove.

Can they keep shooting this well from deep? Can they beat good teams without shooting well from deep? Is Hubert going to ditch the bench against stronger competition? How close is Bacot really to 100%?

The Tar Heels don’t have any more time to figure stuff out. The time is now if they want to salvage their season. They have no margin for error. They got off on the right foot Wednesday night, but things are only going to become more challenging.

Up next for this team is part three of the season series against Virginia. Carolina shot 10-22 (45.5%) from deep in the Dean Dome two weeks ago in a fairly easy win over the Cavaliers. What’s even more telling, though, is that UNC put together a very strong effort in John Paul Jones Arena back in early January, in the game when Bacot suffered an injury in the opening minute. The Tar Heels defended well and kept it close in the eventual 65-58 loss, but it was a valiant fight considering they lost their best player immediately.

North Carolina is once again in a must-win spot Thursday night. Virginia is a team they have matched up well against this year, and if the Tar Heels are serious about salvaging their season, they need to finally show something they haven’t all season. The ability to string strong performances together.