The Greatest UNC Team Bracket: Sweet 16

We are down to 16 teams in our quest to crown the greatest men’s basketball team in North Carolina Tar Heels history. To show you just how storied a history the Tar Heels have in the sport, 15 of the 16 teams left reached at least the Final Four, while all six NCAA Tournament champions are still alive. As for the one team left that didn’t make the Final Four, they had that Michael Jordan guy, so they were pretty good too.

As we enter the theoretical second weekend of our bracket, here are the eight Sweet 16 matchups for your to vote on!

Sweet 16

Dean Smith Region

#1. 1956-57 vs. #5. 1994-95

1956-57

Record: 32-0 (14-0 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 3/23/57 - 54-53 (3OT) vs. #2 Kansas

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

Frank McGuire’s undefeated national champions cruised yet again, beating the ‘74-75 team 96%-4%.

1994-95

Record: 28-6 (12-4 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Final Four

Best Win: 3/25/95 - 74-61 vs. #2 Kentucky

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

This Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace team pretty handily put away another Final Four team, beating ‘90-91 while getting 78% of the vote.

#3. 1976-77 vs. #2. 1967-68

1976-77

Record: 28-5 (9-3 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Runners-Up

Best Win: 3/26/77 - 84-84 vs. #4 UNLV

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #3

The Phil Ford team that lost to Marquette in that national title game cruised past the ‘87-88 squad.

1967-68

Record: 28-4 (12-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Runners-Up

Best Win: 3/15/68 - 91-72 vs. #3 St. Bonaventure

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #3

It will be a battle of two teams that lost the national championship game, as Smith’s 67-68 team that lost to UCLA in his first title game trip took down ‘10-11.

Norman Shepard Region

#1. 1992-93 vs. #4. 1997-98

1992-93

Record: 34-4 (14-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 4/5/93 - 77-71 vs. #3 Michigan

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

This title winning team won easily in the end, but their victory over ‘83-84 was closer than you might expect considering their respective NCAAT finishes.

1997-98

Record: 34-4 (13-3 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Final Four

Best Win: 3/8/98 - 83-68 vs. #1 Duke

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

In a battle of the two Bill Guthridge coached Final Four teams, the ‘97-98 squad won fairly easily over ‘99-00.

#3. 2007-08 vs. #2. 2004-05

2007-08

Record: 36-3 (14-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Final Four

Best Win: 3/8/08 - 76-68 at #6 Duke

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

The ‘07-08 team won a battle between two of the best non-champion UNC squads beating ‘86-87.

2004-05

Record: 33-4 (14-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 4/4/05 - 75-70 vs. #1 Illinois

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #2

However next up for them is a national championship team. The ‘04-05 season was dominant in round two, getting 99% of the vote against ‘75-76.

Roy Williams Region

#1. 1981-82 vs. #4. 1971-72

1981-82

Record: 32-2 (12-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 3/29/82 - 63-63 vs. #6 Georgetown

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

The team with the famous Michael Jordan shot had no trouble against the sneaky strong #8 seed ‘18-19.

1971-72

Record: 26-5 (9-3 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Final Four

Best Win: 3/16/72 - 92-69 vs. #6 South Carolina

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #2

This year had a nice win in a battle of early Smith teams, getting 69% over the vote against ‘66-67.

#3. 2015-16 vs. #7. 1982-83

2015-16

Record: 33-7 (14-4 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Runners-Up

Best Win: 3/12/16 - 61-57 vs. #4 Virginia

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

No heartbreaking buzzer beaters have gone against this team yet, as they cruised past ‘06-07 in round two.

1982-83

Record: 28-8 (12-2 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Elite Eight

Best Win: 1/15/83 - 101-95 at #2 Virginia

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

Here we have our lone non-Final Four team. The ‘82-83 took down the ‘45-46 squad that made the championship game, in a caveat heavy eight-team tournament.

Frank McGuire Region

#1. 2008-09 vs. #5. 1996-97

2008-09

Record: 34-4 (13-3 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 4/6/09 - 89-72 vs. #8 Michigan State

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #1

After getting a perfect 100% in round one, ‘08-09 followed that up by getting 99% in round two.

1996-97

Record: 28-7 (11-5 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: Final Four

Best Win: 1/26/97 - 61-48 vs. #2 Clemson

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #4

Dean Smith’s final ever team won an all-Final Four clash beating ‘68-69 by getting 65% of the vote.

#3. 1980-81 vs. #2. 2016-17

1980-81

Records: 29-8 (10-4 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Runners-Up

Best Win: 3/28/81 - 78-65 vs. #5 Virginia

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #6

The year before Dean Smith won his first title won our mostly hotly contest game of the tournament so far when they beat the excellent but snake bitten ‘11-12 squad.

2016-17

Record: 33-7 (14-4 ACC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: National Champions

Best Win: 4/3/17 - 71-65 vs. #2 Gonzaga

AP Poll Peak Ranking: #3

The most recent national championship team won easily in round two, getting 96% of the vote.