Don't Be So Quick To Dismiss UNC

VCU vs. North Carolina, 6:50 ET

I'm going to take a moment to say hi to all my friends out in Vegas. I've talked about this in the past, but they do an annual trip to Vegas to go for March Madness and the Opening Weekend. This will be one of the last games they probably watch from the pool at Stadium Swim. I've only been once for a variety of reasons, but it is a blast. They will be the group in College Basketball jerseys, all throwbacks. Stop by them and say hello, tell them I sent you. Also, buy my buddy Mark a beer. He had to put his dog down before he left, so I'm sure he will need the distraction. Hopefully, this game will give him one and also line his (and our) pockets a bit as VCU takes on North Carolina.

VCU is 27-7 for the season, but I'll be honest, I didn't really hear much about them this season. They were in the A-10 Conference, which just doesn't get that much love or attention. The competition just isn't that great in the Conference, but that doesn't mean that a team can't make a run. Loyola Chicago is in the A-10, and they made a deep run a few years ago. However, just to show you a bit of an example, VCU went 15-3 in A-10 games during the regular season, but they went 9-4 before that. Their losses in that stretch were to Utah State, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, and New Mexico. After that game against the Lobos, they were 6-4 for the year. Their losses in conference came against Saint Louis and George Mason. Honestly, I don't know if they would've made the tournament if they didn't win their Conference Tournament. They did, and none of the games were that big of a sweat. 

Mar 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA;  VCU Rams head coach Phil Martelli Jr. cuts down the net after defeating the Dayton Flyers in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Championship game at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

North Carolina would likely be a higher seed, but I think the expectation is that they are going to lose fairly quickly in the tournament because they lost their best player, Caleb Wilson. This is also a sentence you could say about Texas Tech. We have to wonder how this team, and the Red Raiders, would've done if they were fully healthy. The Tar Heels are 24-8 overall in the season, but they have lost their past two games. Since losing Wilson, the team is 5-4. I think the biggest issue for the Tar Heels right now is that no individual player seems to be stepping up to take over the team. They have some good players, and they have had six different players lead them in scoring over their past nine games. That's good for depth, but it also tells me they don't quite know who to turn to in close games or when they really need a bucket. 

Judging this game by the number the books hung, it indicates that the game will be tight. However, I don't see it. VCU has shown repeatedly this season that they can't compete with the better competition. What stands out to me is their losses. They fell to a lot of teams that are in the tournament, and even if those games were close, I am not confident they will get it done here. North Carolina may not have Wilson, but they do have some experience. I don't think North Carolina wins more than one game, but I do think they win this one. Give me the Tar Heels -2.5. 

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