As March Madness rapidly approaches, ACC-leading North Carolina has its sights squarely set on avenging last season.
The Tar Heels missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament after advancing to the 2022 national title game as an 8-seed during Hubert Davis’ first season at the helm.
Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams set the bar extremely high for his successor upon retiring after the 2020-21 season. Williams captured three national titles and made five trips to the Final Four with nine ACC regular-season titles and three ACC Tournament Championships in his 18 seasons leading the Tar Heels.
Williams groomed Davis for nine years on his staff before handing over the reins to the storied program. Now, Davis is tasked with restoring his alma mater back to the top of the college basketball world.
UNC finds itself within range of its first ACC regular-season title since 2019. Depending on how the rest of the regular season and the ACC Tournament unfolds, the Tar Heels also have a strong shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
As the cream of the crop in the ACC this season, UNC should be a popular championship pick across many brackets throughout the country.
North Carolina began the season at +2500 but now comes in tied for the sixth-best odds (+1800) to capture the national title at BetMGM.
But can the Heels make a run toward the program’s seventh national title, or will they suffer an early exit in the NCAA tournament? Here's how NC fans should bet UNC on North Carolina betting apps in March and potentially April.
This is the most potent and connected version of the Tar Heels during the Davis era, so the former is far more likely than the latter. UNC is trending upward as the postseason nears.
"There's a hunger and thirst with this group … to be the best it can be," Davis told CBS Sports.
Those aspirations are spearheaded by a pair of sensational seniors.
RJ Davis and Armando Bacot are on the watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America team. Thanks in large part to that dynamic duo, UNC boasts the highest-scoring offense in the ACC along with a high national ranking in rebounding.
Guard Caleb Love transferring to Arizona for his senior season has opened up the floor for the 6-foot, 180-pound Davis, who’s blossoming in his expanded role.
Davis leads the ACC in scoring and is shooting a blistering 41.1% from the 3-point line. He erupted for a Dean Smith Center record 42 points in UNC’s 75-71 victory over Miami on Feb. 26.
“I told him after the game, ‘I’ve seen a number of performances here at Carolina and also in the NBA. Very few have I seen the type of performance he had tonight,’" Hubert Davis told On3. "I was really proud of him.”
Despite RJ Davis’ outburst, UNC had a late 13-point lead cut to two in the last two minutes before clawing out the win.
As a testament to RJ Davis’ leadership, he was more focused on the betterment of the team than his individual milestone.
“Yes, I had a great game and had 42. But, at the same time, we had a lot of points that we just gave up,” RJ Davis said via the Fayetteville Observer. “Little stuff like that we have to eliminate, so we can be better in March.”
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound Bacot is a beast on the boards, leading the ACC in rebounds for the third straight season. He also protects the paint with his shot-blocking ability.
The traditional big man has also benefited from the roster reconstruction, as he now has more room to operate in the post in his fifth season with the Tar Heels.
In North Carolina's 93-84 victory over rival Duke on Feb. 3, Bacot went for 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Tar Heels are also flanked by a solid supporting cast around their two senior standouts.
Junior forward Harrison Ingram is having a career season, while guards Cormac Ryan and Elliot Cadeau also make an impact as role players.
After missing the NCAA tournament last season despite being the nation's preseason No. 1 team, Hubert Davis felt some heat from the Tar Heel faithful. However, he's solidifying his status as the man for the job during his bounce-back third season.
Davis has earned the trust and respect of his players, who are fully buying into his free-flowing system that emphasizes defending the 3-point line as well as playing with pace and taking quality shots.
UNC will be challenged by Duke in the regular-season finale, and the ACC Tournament won’t be a cakewalk. Defending national champion UConn, Purdue, Houston and Arizona are all viable threats to win it all. However, the Tar Heels have additionally staked their claim as a bona fide national title contender.
With the way the Tar Heels are peaking at the perfect time, there’s definitely value in betting on them to cut down the nets.
And if that happens, you can be certain a beaming Williams will be front and center to congratulate his protege.
