North Carolina Tar Heels – First Seed
Record – 26-6, 14-4 ACC
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Basic Gist – The Tar Heels rode a veteran group all the way to the conference regular season title. They traded Kenny Williams for Theo Pinson midstream but got consistent play from Justin Jackson to keep them on the right path. Ordinarily a team like this would be a clear call for a one seed with just a victory over Miami or Syracuse, but 2017 is no ordinary year. The Tar Heels are currently ranked fifth going into the tournament which would shut them out of a number one seed if all things hold.
NCAA Chances – Lock. The Heels will be in conversation for the top three seed lines no matter what happens in the ACC Tournament.
Goal – A One Seed
Road to Goal – The easiest path for the Tar Heels is a loss by Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament. Without that the Heels have to advance deep. A win over Duke or Louisville might do the job, and a win over the Cardinals looks better in the current polls than a win over either FSU or Notre Dame in the final. Winning the whole tournament would make the Heels regular season and tournament champions and should make them a lock as the one seed.