March Madness: Power ranking the Sweet 16 teams left in 2024 NCAA Tournament

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Although UNC didn’t win the ACC Tournament, they still ended up with a 1 seed in the Big Dance, thanks to other contenders such as Tennessee and Arizona losing in their respective conference tournaments. But even with the break, the Tar Heels have been viewed as the most vulnerable No. 1 seed to potentially lose early.

They had no problem against 16-seed Wagner, coasting to a 90-62 win. RJ Davis led all scorers with 22 points, while Armando Bacot had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jae’lyn Withers chipped in with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench.

The next game was against Coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State, who put the Heels on notice with a 12-point early lead. However, it was all UNC for the rest of the game, scoring 45 points in the second half to coast to an 85-69 win. Davis had 20 points, while forwards Bacot and Harrison Ingram combined for 35 points and 14 rebounds.

North Carolina and its defense take on the No. 1 scoring offense in the country in Alabama. It could be the best game in the Sweet 16 and one that ends up in the 80s. The perimeter battle between Davis and Mark Sears alone will be worth the watch.