3. North Carolina Tar Heels
26-5 overall , 17-3 in ACC (1st)
Many seem to not be talking about the North Carolina Tar Heels enough. Sure, they've had their stretches of poor play. But to go into Cameron Indoor late in the season with everything that was at stake and lead the entirety of the game in a win vs. rival Duke, speaks volumes to the type of team North Carolina is. They finished the year 2-0 against the Blue Devils and have been crowned the ACC regular-season champions going 26-5 overall, and 17-3 in the ACC.
They are led by veteran guard, RJ Davis averaging 21.1 PPG and 3.5 AST, and interior big Armando Bacot, who is averaging a double-double on the season. But this is a squad that gets a lot of help outside of those two. Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan led all scorers against the Blue Devils with 31. They also get exponential help from Harrison Ingram, Seth Trimble, and Elliot Cadeau.
North Carolina has the mixture of experience, youth, and pure talent that it takes to last in the NCAA Tournament. Davis and Bacot are battle-tested. They've played in the big games. They've faced the hardship of getting so far and not getting the job done.
That feeling stings, which is exactly why the Tar Heels are a team of destiny, that could be there when it's all said and done and the Final four comes around. Keep an eye on the thriving North Carolina Tar Heels.