Latest 2026 bracketology projects UNC basketball to face familiar foe in NCAA Tournament
The North Carolina Tar Heels' basketball program is looking to avoid what happened in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
After barely getting into the tournament, UNC beat San Diego State in the first four before falling to Ole Miss in the opening round. Season-long issues then resurfaced in the Tar Heels' loss to the Rebels and this past offseason saw an overhaul of the roster.
In Joe Lunardi's latest round of 2026 bracketology, UNC earns a six seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. North Carolina is projected to a familiar opponent, 11-seed San Diego State, who advances via winning a First Four matchup.
If this actual matchup takes place, Lunardi will cement himself as the top bracketologist in college basketball history (not that he already isn't). Lunardi might anger fans occasionally, but he's pretty accurate.
Whereas the Tar Heels carried a guard-heavy roster last year, their upcoming roster will be post-heavy. UNC will carry 7-footers Henri Veesaar and Ivan Matlekovic at center, plus 6'11" Jarin Stevenson and 6'9" Caleb Wilson at power forward.
Senior Seth Trimble and Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans will hold down the North Carolina backcourt, with freshman Derek Dixon and Virginia Tech transfer Jaydon Young behind them.
If the Tar Heels make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, Hubert Davis won't have to worry about his job security. UNC's roster is much deeper this coming season, despite plenty of new players, but that depth needs to be proven during non-conference gameplay.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Highlights from Day 10 of Broncos training camp
The Denver Broncos wrapped up Day 10 of training camp on Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights. OL coach Zach Streif brings the boom Dre Greenlaw back in pads Que Robinson back in pads as well Bo Nix connects with Evan Engram Another Bo Nix to Evan Engram completion Bo Nix goes deep to Courtland Sutton Pat Bryant looking sharp The Broncos have a day off of practice on Wednesday as the team travels to California ahead of a joint practice and preseason game with the San Francisco 49ers. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Panthers 2nd-round pick Nic Scourton sidelined from Friday's practice with injury
The Carolina Panthers have proceeded to proceed with caution this summer. Friday's outing of training camp did not include outside linebacker Nic Scourton, the team's second-round pick from the 2025 NFL draft. Head coach Dave Canales, who chatted with reporters after practice, was asked about the rookie defender's status. "Yeah, Nic just has a mild hamstring [injury] we're being smart about," Canales replied. "Happened in a special teams drill. He's been doin' a great job there." Scourton was taken by the Panthers with the 51st overall pick of the draft. The 6-foot-3, 257-pounder, who amassed a total of 17.0 sacks over his three-year collegiate career, comes into the pros as a first-team All-SEC member from 2024 and a second-team All-Big 10 member from 2023. Carolina's projected starters at the outside linebacker position are currently D.J. Wonnum and Pat Jones II, who signed with the team on a two-year deal this past spring. Scourton and fellow Day 2 selection Princely Umanmielen will likely begin their rookie campaigns as depth pieces behind the article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers training camp: OLB Nic Scourton out Friday with injury
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Panthers 2025 training camp tracker: Top takeaways and observations from Day 11
Tuesday's onslaught of rain didn't stop the Carolina Panthers from getting in some more work. In fact, one rookie even took to the wet conditions. Here are the top takeaways and observations from Tuesday's outing of training camp . . . Held Ransom 2025 fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom was the star of this morning's session, where he tallied an interception of starting quarterback Bryce Young and a sack of third-stringer Jack Plummer. Head coach Dave Canales praised the rookie safety for his preparedness. "I think one thing that I'm noticing about him is he always seems to be in great position to make a play," Canales told reporters. "And that comes with study, that comes with being disciplined about owning your leverage, analyzing the formation, run-pass and then putting yourselves in an athletic position to make plays. And I couldn't be happier with where he's at and where he's headed." Ransom also hit the lectern following practice, and credited his veteran teammates for teeing up the good vibes in some not-so-good weather. "Yeah, I think the [defensive backs] brought a lot of energy today—between Jaycee [Horn], Mike [Jackson], Demani [Richardson], Tre [Swilling], all them, Nick [Scott]," Ransom stated. "Lettin' us know that it don't matter if it's raining or snowing, we gotta go out there and show up." The 23-year-old defensive back is one of a few youngsters vying for the starting job next to free-agent addition Tre'von Moehrig. Ransom's stiffest competition has been second-year safety Demani Richardson, who has also stood out this summer. Hamstrung Both wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and rookie outside linebacker Nic Scourton have been sidelined due to mild hamstring injuries. But Canales seemed optimistic about their outlooks moving forward. "He is doin' great," he said of Renfrow. "He's in return-to-play right now with our training department. He's running, he's cutting. I think it's just the load of practice that we're just trying to be smart on, and just get him completely healthy so we can really see him in these games. And I feel really strongly that he's there, but I think it's more of a capacity thing." Canales said Scourton is in the "same boat." Their statuses for Friday's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns has not yet been determined. More rain in this cloud That preseason opener will be preceded by a joint practice between the two teams on Wednesday. And just like this morning, tomorrow's session is set to be a rainy one. Canales, however, doesn't seem worried about the forecast. "We're just gonna practice," Canales said. "The field was great. The turf itself, there wasn't a lot of slipping. Our grounds crew have done an amazing job just making sure that it's draining properly and all that. So, we'll go out there, we'll practice. "And I think Kevin [Stefanski] kinda expects that. He texted me this morning. He said, 'It looks like rain for the next 37 days.' But it'll be good. The energy will be good. They won't even be thinking about the water, I promise you. It'll be about this opportunity to go against other pros." Top observationsThis article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2025 training camp tracker: Top takeaways from Day 11
