Now that the Super Bowl is over and done with, sports fans are gearing up for March Madness. Beginning in mid-March, college basketball fans will be glued to their TVs as they watch 68 teams play each other for the national championship title. North Carolina is home to some of the best and most successful college basketball teams in the nation, so its sports fans are particularly excited about this year’s tournament. Here’s the latest on North Carolina’s major college basketball teams as we approach March Madness:
University of North Carolina Tar Heels
Conference: 11-3
Overall: 22-5
Good news for Tar Heel fans—the Tar Heels are favored to win their first national title since 2009. The team has experienced their upsets, including a loss to Notre Dame in early February and a recent loss to Duke. However, their win over Miami put them one game ahead of Louisville, Virginia, and Miami in the ACC tournament.
Players to watch: Senior forward Brice Johnson is continuing to show us why he is the favorite for the ACC Player of the Year. Johnson continues to make big plays and steps up when his team needs it most.
Wake Forest University
Conference: 2-13
Overall: 11-16
Wake Forest University has had a rough go of it this season and recently had to suspend senior forward Devin Thomas for two games and dismiss forward Cornelius Hudson from the team completely. Thomas is the team’s leading scorer, and rebounder and the team will have to play without his help in their match against Notre Dame on Wednesday night. Their win against Boston College last Sunday was their first win after 11 straight losses. The Demon Deacons will close their regular season at Duke on March 1.
Players to watch: Freshman center Doral Moore got his chance to shine during the match at Boston College and really performed. With Thomas being suspended for the next match as well, we hope to see another solid performance by Moore.
Duke
Conference: 9-5
Overall: 20-7
The #20 Duke Blue Devils recently defeated their most hated rival, the #18 North Carolina Tar Heels. Unfortunately, their five-game winning streak was broken Saturday at Louisville (who are ineligible for the postseason) with a 71-64 defeat. The Blue Devils were already running short on players and more injuries occurred during this game, including point guard Derryck Thornton with a right shoulder injury. Both Louisville and Duke are on upswings as we head into March and this could make Duke a formidable opponent.
Players to watch: Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram are both freshmen who are incredible on offense and continue to shine this season.
NC State Wolfpack
Conference: 4-10
Overall: 14-13
NC State got off to a rocky start and only won three of their first 13 games in the ACC, but head coach Mark Gottfried has been known to fire up his team at the end of a season. NC State will host UNC on Wednesday night, where they will need to shut down UNC’s Marcus Paige (whose shooting tends to be impressive at Raleigh) if they want a chance at winning.
Players to watch: Point guard Cat Barber had an off day against Clemson and he will need to get his mojo back for a tough game against the Tar Heels. Players such as Maverick Rowan really stepped up their game in response to Barber’s off day, so it will be interesting to see if they bring the same performance in Raleigh.
Get Ready For March Madness!
March Madness is much more enjoyable after a productive day of work. Take care of your workload in peace and quiet by renting one of YourOffice Ballantyne’s executive suites and then head down to your favorite sports bar to get in on the action. You can also catch the game at home after setting up your own virtual office solution. No matter where you are, make sure to watch the Championship game on April 4th!
