North Carolina dominated the headlines on Selection Sunday after being the fourth ACC team in the field of 68 and getting the final at-large spot to the NCAA Tournament in controversial fashion through the eyes of some fans. Many pointed to Tar Heels' lack of quality wins and poor record against the projected field. But the Tar Heels were unfazed by the noise in their First Four matchup, blowing out San Diego State 95-68 in a game they by as many in 40. It was an emphatic statement that went a long way towards silencing many of their Selection Sunday critics.
The Tar Heels have a chip on their shoulder, and they are unquestionably playing their best basketball of the year. Senior guard RJ Davis will look to make the most of his final NCAA Tournament appearance, with hopes of making one more deep March Madness run to wrap up his illustrious career with the team.
But they have a tough task at hand versus six seeded Ole Miss, a team in the midst of their best season in over a decade. The Rebels had a strong showing in the historically strong SEC, finishing 10-8 in conference play in a tie for sixth place. The Rebels are a veteran team led by Chris Beard, a coach who has proven he can win in March, having made a National Championship game appearance back when he was with Texas Tech in 2019.
This looks poised to be an extremely intriguing 6-11 matchup that will feature plenty of veteran experience on both sides that will generate plenty of storylines either way. With that being said, here's how you can watch this matchup along with everything else you need to know.
How to watch North Carolina vs. Ole Miss
- Date: Friday, March 21
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, WI)
- How to Watch (TV): TNT
- Streaming: fubo TV
- North Carolina record: 23-13
- Ole Miss record: 22-11
North Carolina vs. Ole Miss odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline
• North Carolina -120
• Ole Miss +100
Spread
• North Carolina -1.5 (-105)
• Ole Miss +1.5 (-115)
Total
• 155.5 (over -110/under -110)
North Carolina injury Report
N/A
Ole Miss injury Report
N/A
North Carolina vs Ole Miss Prediction
This is one of the more intriguing round of 64 games for a multitude of reasons. The upset potential is very much there, and there's plenty of people wondering if North Carolina's performance versus San Diego State is sustainable. Ole Miss enters the tournament having lost five of their last eight, only adding to the upset potential.
But the Rebels will enter this game well-rested, having had a week to reset for the tournament ever since falling to Auburn in the SEC Tournament last Friday. That being said, RJ Davis will still be an extremely tough matchup, and given all the success he has had in March, containing Davis on the offensive end will be crucial to the Rebels chances of winning. But Davis won't be the only player that Ole Miss will need to contain. Guards Ian Jackson and Seth Trimble will also be challenging matchups, with both averaging double figures in scoring this season.
The Rebels have plenty of depth, with six players averaging double figures in scoring this year, with guard Sean Pedulla leading the way, averaging 14.9 ppg. With their solid depth on the scoring end, Ole Miss may be able to wear down the Tar Heels as the game goes on and secure the victory. However, with the Tar Heels playing their best basketball of the season right now, they look poised to be a tough out in this tournament.
This will likely be one of the most entertaining games of the opening round, and while the Rebels are an extremely talented team, they will ultimately come up just short against a Tar Heels team that is playing with a chip on their shoulder.