Carolina's "Hoop Genius" forecasts Sweet 16 trip for Tar Heels
The UNC basketball team faces a tough VCU team in its NCAA Tournament opener. Jay Bilas predicts the Tar Heels' Big Dance success.
On Thursday evening, the North Carolina Tar Heels will be playing win-or-go-home basketball. UNC, which earned a 6-seed in the South Region , will play the VCU Rams at 6:50 p. m.
ET in both team's NCAA Tournament opener. North Carolina (24-8, 12-6 ACC) no longer has Caleb Wilson , who broke his thumb on a practice dunk and ended his season. The Tar Heels have a deeper, more talented team compared to their 2024-25 campaign, but losing your superstar hurts.
In his NCAA Tournament predictions , ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas predicts UNC to beat VCU on Thursday, then lose to Illinois on Saturday. "This is a scary game for the Tar Heels," Bilas said. Without Caleb Wilson, they have a lower ceiling.
North Carolina is better and should win. But VCU is a fair upset pick here. " "Illinois can make life difficult for North Carolina, which will be relying on Henri Veesaar (16.