North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and will open play on Thursday in Charlotte against the winner of Tuesday’s game between Howard and Wagner.
The winner of that contest will advance to Saturday’s Round of 32 against the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 8 seed Mississippi State and No. 9 seed Michigan State.
Carolina was the fourth No. 1 seed behind UConn, Houston and Purdue.
If the Tar Heels win two games in Charlotte, they will advance to the West Regional in Los Angeles beginning on Thursday March 28.
Hubert Davis Q&A:
HD: “I’m just really excited for the guys. We’re a number one seed because of the work this team has done this season. I’m proud of how they have worked all season, how they’ve played, how they have prepared and how from the start of the season they have wanted to be a team. To be given an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament is a big deal. I know the importance of being able to play close to home, so playing in Charlotte for potentially the first two rounds and being closer to our fans is a big deal for us, but it’s just fun coming into the tournament.”
Q: Two years ago, when UNC came up as a number eight seed, you told the players the seed number doesn’t matter.
HD: “I told them that again today. It’s great being a number one seed but it’s an NCAA Tournament. It’s 68 accomplished teams so you have to come play, whatever seed you are, wherever you play, so our preparation, practice and play will be the same as it’s been for 34 games. We’re excited about the challenge.”
UNC NCAA Tournament Facts & Figures
• The Tar Heels are a No. 1 seed for the 18th time, most in NCAA history, and for the first time since 2019.
• Carolina’s No. 1 seeds include 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2024.
• Carolina has a 63-12 record as a top seed.
• Carolina advanced to the Final Four as a No. 1 seed 10 times: 1982, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016 and 2017.
• The Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four out of the West Region in 1981.
• UNC’s last five NCAA titles came as a No. 1 seed (1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017).
• Carolina is making its 53rd NCAA Tournament appearance, second in history behind Kentucky’s 61. The Tar Heels are 131-49 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• UNC has won 131 NCAA Tournament games (most in history) and played in 180 (second-most behind Kentucky’s 184).
• Carolina’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage of .728 is second-best in history.
• UNC has made 21 Final Four appearances, most in tournament history.
• The Tar Heels’ six NCAA championships (1957-82-93-2005-09-17) are third-most in history behind UCLA’s 11 and Kentucky’s eight.
• Hubert Davis is the fourth Tar Heel head coach to lead a team to a No. 1 seed (Dean Smith eight times, Roy Williams eight times, Bill Guthridge once).
• This is the eighth time UNC will play in the West Region: 1978, 1981 (2 seed), 1986 (3 seed), 1988 (2 seed), 1999 (3 seed), 2015 (4 seed), 2018 (2 seed), 2024 (1 seed).
• Carolina has the most wins in NCAA Tournament history (131), the most Final Fours (21), the second-highest winning percentage (.728), the second-most games (180) and the third-most NCAA Tournament titles (6).
• The Tar Heels are 12-1 in NCAA Tournament play in Charlotte (1-0 in 1975, 1-0 in 1982, 1-0 in 1984, 2-0 in 1987, 2-0 in 2005, 2-0 in 2008, 2-0 in 2011 and 1-1 in 2018).
• Carolina plays the winner of the Howard/Wagner play-in game. The Tar Heels are 5-0 all-time vs. Howard (last played in Chapel Hill on 1/2/2000) and have never played Wagner. Carolina has never played Howard in the NCAA Tournament. UNC played Howard in 1922 in Atlanta in the Southern Conference Tournament.
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