Notre Dame @ North Carolina preview
Greensboro Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jan 2, 2021 ) Notre Dame 65, North Carolina 66
The challenge for North Carolina is to string together some success.
That's what it will take in the postseason.
The sixth-seeded Tar Heels aim to build off one of their most impressive outings when they play Wednesday night against 11th-seeded Notre Dame in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at Greensboro, N.C.
"I don't even think we're at our best," North Carolina guard Kerwin Walton said. "We still have a lot of room to improve."
North Carolina (16-9) received a first-round bye Tuesday while Notre Dame (11-14) rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit and defeated Wake Forest 80-77 on Trey Wertz's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Now the Irish have something to draw energy from as well.
"Any way you can get to the next round in a tournament atmosphere, which we have shown, if you can win the first one, which we've done many times in the ACC, it just kind of gives you hope," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.
The Tar Heels crushed Duke 91-73 in Saturday night's regular-season finale a week after knocking off Florida State, which was in first place at the time. In between, there was a loss at Syracuse.
The Duke game might be something to try to replicate.
"I'd say that was the best we played all year maybe other than the second half against Florida State," North Carolina forward Armando Bacot said. "When we're all locked in, we're a great team. ... It's just when is it going to happen, and can we keep it going?"
The Tar Heels haven't won two consecutive ACC games since January. Still, they've seen the possibilities during some recent contests.
"It's hard to not get excited, especially when everyone is playing so well," Walton said. "I think it's just playing with a sense of urgency as long as we keep our energy up. ... I think it comes to the sense of pride and what's important to you. As long as we keep carrying out that same energy every game then we'll be fine."
North Carolina topped visiting Notre Dame 66-65 on Jan. 2 in a matchup that was announced just two days earlier as the ACC made schedule adjustments.
Wertz is from Charlotte, so the transfer from Santa Clara is in his home state for the tournament. It already has been a special event.
"I've been to the Greensboro Coliseum numerous times, not only to watch the ACC tournament but other games as well," he said. "So it was actually my first time playing on the court."
Until Tuesday, North Carolina played in the most-recent ACC tournament game, an 81-53 loss to Syracuse in the final game of the 2020 second round. Before another game was played the next day, the rest of the tournament was canceled.
That outcome, though, came by the largest margin of defeat for North Carolina in an ACC tournament game.
Usually, though, the Tar Heels excel in the Greensboro Coliseum. They're 40-19 in ACC tournament games in the building. Notre Dame is 5-1 all-time in ACC tournament play in Greensboro.
--Field Level Media