Even with August winding down and football season on the horizon, Chapel Hill isn’t ready to turn the page from North Carolina basketball.
Well, Joe Lunardi updated his Way-Too-Early “Men’s Bracketology: 2026 NCAA Tournament” on Tuesday, and while some Tar Heel fans will be okay with it, some won’t be.
As of Thursday, UNC is currently projected as the sixth seed in the East Region. It checks out as the Tar Heels have been viewed as a preseason Top 25 team, but more on the bubble than a definitive one. A sixth-seed would claim the No. 21 through No. 24 teams if it is done according to rankings.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis is shown during practice before their first round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game Thursday, March 20, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If North Carolina were to play the opening game today, it would square up against 11-seed VCU in Oklahoma City. The winner of that game would face the victor of the game between third-seed Iowa State and 14th-seed Arkansas State.
Last season’s four teams with the 6-seed were BYU (24-9), Missouri (22-11), Ole Miss (22-11), and Illinois (21-12).
Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) shoots the ball against Duke Blue Devils center Mark Williams (15) during the second half in the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Michigan, the No. 2 seed, is the highest-ranked of UNC’s potential Sweet 16 opponents. They are joined in the East Region by No. 7 Oregon, No. 15 Youngstown State, and the winner of the play-in game between Texas A&M and Miami for the No. 10 seed.
The most interesting part about the East Region is one thing and one thing only: Duke is the No. 1 seed. You know what that also means? Carolina and Duke could square off against each other in the NCAA tournament for only the second time ever throughout the greatest rivalry in college hoops.
Lunardi’s four number one seeds are Houston (Midwest), Duke (East), Purdue (West), and Florida (South).
Feb 19, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (3) passes the ball as North Carolina State Wolfpack guards Paul McNeil (2) and Trey Parker (5) defend in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The ACC has been one of college basketball’s best conferences since its inception in 1953. Lunardi sees it will have a good season as he sees the ACC having six of its teams in the tournament this seasonalso sees the Atlantic Coast Conference as a six-team bid league. That would be the most since seven teams earned invites in 2021.
Where Other ACC Teams are Seeded According to Lunardi:
The Tar Heels will play Duke both at home and on the road this coming season. Louisville will come to the Dean Dome, and NC State, SMU, and Miami will host the Tar Heels on the road.
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