UNC Knows Recipe for Success in ACC Tournament Despite Injuries

The Tar Heels enter the ACC tournament with an opportunity to flip the narrative.

Dec 30, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Seth Trimble (7) and guard Derek Dixon (3) in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament, earning a double bye and will not play until Thursday in the quarterfinals.

With that brief preview, here is a quick look at North Carolina's potential outlook in the conference tournament.

Schedule

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

As the Tar Heels prepare for their first game, they will face the winner of Clemson-Wake Forest, which will be on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Duke, who is on the same side of the bracket as North Carolina, will face either Florida State or California in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.

For the Tar Heels to reach the ACC Championship game, they will have to take down the Blue Devils, who defeated North Carolina this past weekend 76-61 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

North Carolina's Preparation Without Caleb Wilson

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Following the loss to Duke, head coach Hubert Davis discussed how the team has experienced being short-handed throughout the season and how it will prepare North Carolina in the ACC tournament.

• "We do have a seven-game sample without him," Davis said of Wilson. "Defensively, we know what we need to do. From an offensive standpoint, we know our attack. That being said, it's really the same for us."

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

• "Whether Caleb is here or not, we've got to rebound. We've got to box out and limit teams to one shot every possession. One, it gets us a stop. Two, it ignites us in transition where we've been really good all season. We still want to dominate points in the paint through post penetration and offensive rebounds."

• "We want to live in the paint and live at the free throw line. Those plays generate open threes. The foundation of who we are hasn't changed whether Caleb is in the lineup or not. That's the way we play here at North Carolina, and we've got to dictate that next week in Charlotte."

Predictions for the Tar Heels

Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and forward Jonathan Powell (11) react in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina should be favored against whoever they play against in the quarterfinals, but that is most likely the only game the Tar Heels have a chance of winning. Assuming the Tar Heels can advance to the semifinals, they will presumably take on Duke, which has only two losses this season, with one of them coming against North Carolina.

However, Wilson was available for that game, and as Saturday indicated, the gap between these two teams when the star freshman is out is immense.