Why Heels Have Pieces to Spark NCAA Tournament Hope

UNC looks built for March, and Veesaar and Wilson are the reason why. Currently sitting at #14 in the AP Poll and #15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Tar Heels look to make a push for March in January.

“Even before I was head coach – as an assistant when I was here and when I played here – the expectation here is for every season for this program to have a chance (to win a national title), " Coach Hubert Davis told ESPN. “And when I say the standard is the standard, that’s what I mean. And whether you make the NCAA tournament and lose in the first round like we did last year, the standard is the standard.”

Road Games Remain the Biggest Hurdle for UNC

Taking care of business on the road has been the lingering issue for the Tar Heels so far this season, and close games have exposed it. Too often, they have put themselves in position to win away from Chapel Hill only to come up just short late. If the Heels can start closing in tight moments, their ceiling in March rises significantly.

One of those road losses came at the hands of SMU in a 97-73 defeat. The game was tied at halftime, but the Mustangs took complete control after the break and never looked back, leading for the entirety of the second half. SMU shot an efficient 36-of-60 from the field and caught fire from deep, knocking down 14-of-27 from beyond the arc to pull away convincingly.

12th 20-point game of the year for Caleb 👀

He now has the 2nd-most 20-point games by a UNC freshman, behind Tyler Hansbrough. pic.twitter.com/BRcWWPYGli
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 15, 2026

“To make people miss. That was the biggest focus. We just had to make people miss shots. Tonight, they hit tough shots and teams are going to hit tough shots when they play us. That’s all I can say,” Caleb Wilson on what the team learned following the SMU loss.

They have a date set for today at 4 p.m. at Haas Pavilion to take on the Golden Bears. If the Tar Heels can take care of business tonight against California, it would be another important boost to their resume heading into March. A road win like this not only strengthens their tournament profile but also helps quiet concerns about closing away from home as the postseason approaches.

According to Joe Lunardi, he has North Carolina as a #5 seed in the East Region.

Henri from downtown 🎯 @mrhenriveesaar

📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/YneKRarQG4
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 15, 2026

If the Tar Heels can fully put the pieces together around Wilson and Veesaar, with emerging contributions from Seth Trimble, it is hard to see UNC landing any lower than a No. 5 seed. The blend of frontcourt production, perimeter impact, and growing depth gives the Heels the look of a team trending upward at the right time.

“This is going to be our growth for us as a team; It’s not getting to that level, but it’s staying at that level,” Davis on his team’s maturity and sustaining leads.

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