UNC basketball won both of its games last week and didn’t hurt itself as it relates to Selection Sunday and getting the chance to play in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels (11-6, 4-1 ACC) earned a comfortable home win against SMU (12-4, 3-2) before securing a win in the final seconds at N.C. State (9-7, 2-3) to complete a 2-0 week in the ACC. UNC will be back at the Smith Center on Wednesday (7 p.m., ACC Network) for a game against Cal (8-8, 1-4) before hosting Stanford (11-5, 3-2) on Saturday (2:15 p.m., CW Network).
Through 17 games, head coach Hubert Davis’ squad is 37th in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings with a 1-6 record in Quadrant 1 games.
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The Tar Heels had a pair of Quad 1 victories on their résumé entering January, but Dayton started January with back-to-back losses to George Washington and UMass, moving the Flyers to 61st in the NET and into Quad 2 territory. Both of UNC’s games this week are currently Quad 3 opportunities.
As it stands, UNC’s best win is against UCLA, which is 32nd in the NET after three straight losses to start 2025. Of UNC’s 15 ACC games remaining, six are Quad 1 opportunities, including four in a row from late January into mid-February.
Each week moving forward, the USA TODAY Network will take a look back at the Tar Heels’ previous week and assess how their résumé has changed and where they stand in bracketology projections.
UNC basketball NCAA Tournament résumé for 2025 March Madness
Here’s a breakdown of UNC basketball’s NCAA Tournament résumé as of Jan. 13.
NET rankings: UNC at No. 37
All rankings entering Monday.
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Quad 1 record: 1-6
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Quad 2 record: 4-0
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Quad 3 record: 4-0
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Quad 4 record: 2-0
KenPom rankings: UNC at No. 30
All rankings entering Monday.
Offensive efficiency: No. 34
Defensive efficiency: No. 43
UNC basketball bracketology projections
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ESPN: 10-seed in South Region: Last Four Byes, playing No. 7 Baylor in Wichita (as of Jan. 10).
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CBS: 9-seed in South Region: Playing No. 8 Arizona in Lexington (as of Jan. 10).
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Bracket Matrix: 9-seed or 10-seed, including in 49 of 51 brackets (as of Jan. 10).
Looking back at UNC basketball games vs SMU, NC State
Jan. 7 vs. SMU: The Tar Heels played arguably their best defense of the season in an 82-67 win against the Mustangs. RJ Davis snapped out of a shooting slump with 26 points in an efficient performance, Seth Trimble returned from a head injury and UNC’s top two freshmen — Drake Powell and Ian Jackson — showed continued improvement. It was a Quad 2 win, but a double-digit victory that helped the Heels in the rankings.
Jan. 11 at N.C. State: Jalen Washington played his best game as a Tar Heel and it was exactly what UNC needed in a grind-it-out game that ended with the Tar Heels earning a 63-61 win in Raleigh. If Washington can continue to put up numbers close to a double-double on a nightly basis, in addition to his improvements as a rim protector, it changes the outlook for this version of the Tar Heels.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball NCAA Tournament résumé for March Madness: Jan. 13
