It’s that time of year again when the NFL community starts to shift its attention to the realm of college hoops.
The Super Bowl has come and gone and with Selection Sunday a month away, all eyes are on the NCAA.
I’m here to break down some teams that you should take notice of come the NCAA Tournament.
Here are two that are built for success and should not be taken lightly in March.
Negative regression is finally settling in for North Carolina, but when push comes to shove this is still one of the best teams in the country.
The Tar Heels once looked unstoppable but have dropped three of their last seven, which I’d almost consider a necessary stumble.
This is a veteran-led team with championship-level talent. Struggles rarely came despite some glaring issues.
One of which has been their inability to cover shooters on the perimeter.
Going into their 15-point win against Virginia Tech on Saturday, UNC had allowed 28 percent of all 3s to be open, per ShotQuality, but has benefited from opponents failing to convert. As we’ve seen against both Clemson and Syracuse, it was only a matter of time.
Putting all that aside and believing that Hubert Davis will address the necessary issue, North Carolina is one of the scariest teams from top to bottom.
Most of that is because of a prolific offense.
The Tar Heels have an elite scorer in RJ Davis, who has taken off in life without Caleb Love. Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram has been the X-factor for North Carolina and is finally taking that next step in college basketball.
Paired with Armando Bacot’s size and strength around the rim on both ends of the floor, and elite role players, the Tar Heels rank inside the top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They also happen to have the fourth-most Division I experience.
This team is way more talented than the 2022 Tar Heels squad that made it to the NCAA Tournament championship game. It no longer needs to rely so heavily on one or two players to score. Rather, this is as well-balanced of a UNC offense as we’ve seen in years.
If you want to back experience and a high-octane offense, North Carolina is the team for you. The Heels are 20/1 to win the tournament at FanDuel and +430 to make the Final Four.
They have the exact makeup of a championship contender and should not be taken lightly.
All the way down to 20/1 is Auburn, one of my favorite teams in college basketball.
I gave this out on Action Network at 60/1 and it’s dropped because of the depth and excellence the Tigers continue to boast this season.
This is Bruce Pearl’s most talented squad. The Tigers rank inside the top 10 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Auburn has depth with a rotation that goes 10 deep. Each player plays a pivotal role, whether it’s extra defensive pressure, perimeter shooting or a knack for rebounding.
Johni Broome has quickly turned into one of the nation’s best bigs and runs the Auburn rim protection that ranks No. 1 in 2-point percentage allowed.
The Tigers are like the schoolyard bullies — they will beat you up wherever it comes.
Try to drive on them? They’ll be right there to knock the ball loose.
Want to create your own shot? Better believe there’s a hand in your face. Think you have an easy rebound? Think again.
This has all come with prolific freshman Aden Holloway shooting just 21 percent from 3-point range in SEC play. He has limitless range and can be the key in Auburn’s late rallies come tournament time.
Auburn has the perfect mixture of physicality and finesse. Like UNC, this is a veteran-led team that has used the transfer portal to build a championship-level roster.
Despite being upset at home on Saturday by Kentucky, the Tigers will likely end up with a top-three seed. They are 20/1 to win the championship and +400 to make the Final Four.