The revenge tour for the Tar Heels in Brooklyn has gone exactly according to plan so far. They’ve dispatched Miami and Duke, and now they’ll get a chance to beat the top team in the country for the ACC Tournament championship.
Roy Williams tells his players they didn’t come this far to just come this far, and that sentiment rings true tonight. The Tar Heels that have taken the floor the last two nights at the Barclays Center can absolutely win this whole thing. Their defense has taken an obvious step forward and they’ve gotten production up and down their lineup, even when one person might lag behind for a game.
Some believe that a win tonight would get UNC onto the #1 line for the NCAA Tournament. Some think buying that is ridiculous because of the loss to Wofford and number of losses looming on Carolina’s resume. Whatever the case, Roy Williams has his guys peaking at the right time. They are playing the best basketball they’ve played all season recently, and they can do plenty of damage in the tournament regardless of whether they end up as a 2 seed or a 1 seed.
Last night’s game likely ensured that the Tar Heels will start their tournament tour in Charlotte in front of a friendly crowd. The importance of that might be overstated at times, but UNC’s record in North Carolina is undeniable. Getting to play a de facto home game can only help their case to repeat as national champions.
That’s getting ahead of ourselves, though. Tonight’s mission is to beat Virginia and take home the ACC Tournament crown. It’s not the one we all dream about them bringing home, but it is a nice step on the way to that.
As always, we’ll be back after the game with a complete roundup of all the happenings. Until then...
Go Heels!