Carolina’s ACC schedule is suddenly a lot more challenging.
Hubert Davis will think he’s back in the NBA with five games in 10 days of the revamped slate to accommodate COVID postponements. Whatever happened to teams that can’t play games forfeiting them?
The ACC office must be like a circus with associate commissioners spending all day juggling multi-colored basketballs. Because of how the original schedule was laid out, UNC gets the worst of the adjustments made.
After the Georgia Tech rematch this Saturday, the Tar Heels go to first-place Miami, which still couldn’t crack the top 25 rankings but did garner votes to end the ACC’s embarrassing landmark last week of having only one team (Duke) receive votes for the first time in 40 years.
After that comes the wicked 10-day stretch, thanks to the ACC revision, starting with a visit to Wake Forest (undefeated at home) on Saturday, January 22, then the rescheduled home game against Virginia Tech (0-3 in the conference but way better than that) on Monday night.
Two days later is the home rematch with Boston College, which was coming off a three-week pause and got blown out in Chestnut Hill, then three days later N.C. State at home. The Pack has been struggling, but you know how good they are when they show up at the Smith Center.
The ACC gave the Heels a break by moving the game at Louisville from Monday, January 31 to the next night, which is the 10th day of hell. Oh, yes, then comes the Blue Devils at home Saturday, February 5, followed by a trip to Clemson on Tuesday and home games against Florida State and Pittsburgh, which are must-wins considering what Carolina will have been through.
So, most of those teams will be ranked beneath the Heels, who present their best chances to post a Quad-1 win if they hope to squeeze into NCAA tournament consideration.
Let’s be objective for the next 11 games. Wins over Georgia Tech, at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, BC, State, Florida State and Pitt, and losses at Miami and Louisville, Duke and at Clemson would make UNC 10-5.
The last five games of the schedule (as of now, which is no guarantee) are at Virginia Tech, Louisville, at NC State, Syracuse and at Duke. Would you take three wins to give Carolina a 13-7 ACC record and 21-10 overall going into the ACC tournament with a top four seed?
I would and dare the NCAA selection committee to leave the Heels out.
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