Now nearly a full month into 2026, college basketball teams are into the thick of their conference schedules. UNC, which secured a huge road upset of rival Virginia on Saturday, is in the top half of what’s shaping up to be a deep ACC.
North Carolina (16-4, 4-3 ACC) rolled through non-conference play with a 12-1 record, securing wins against fellow blue bloods Kansas and Kentucky. The Tar Heels hit an impasse to begin ACC play, losing their first three conference road games, but squeaked by Wake Forest at home and dominated Notre Dame.
Advertisement
UNC has plenty more season ahead, with a third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance increasingly likely. In USA TODAY Sports’ January 26 bracketology, released earlier Tuesday, North Carolina is a 5-seed in the East Region.
USAT projects the Tar Heels facing 12-seeded Belmont in Tampa, Fla. Joining UNC and the Bruins are 4-seed, reigning national champion Florida and 2023 Final Four squad Florida Atlantic.
North Carolina and Belmont, the latter a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, previously played in November 2013. If you attended that game at the Dean Dome, you likely still have memories of a painful upset etched in your mind.
After dropping consecutive games at Stanford and Cal on their West Coast swing, the Tar Heels are now winners of two straight. Derek Dixon is a key in the starting lineup, Caleb Wilson remains a superstar and head coach Hubert Davis is now playing his best rotations.
Advertisement
UNC has all the pieces to make a National Championship run. Can North Carolina continue to play at its current pace, rise through the ACC and be college basketball’s last team standing in April?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on. Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball projected the East’s 5 seed in USAT Sports bracketology
