The North Carolina Tar Heels shocked the world when they made it to the national championship game last season, and they were a few plays away from winning it all. The rebuild was quick in Chapel Hill, and this team appears to be one of the top teams in college hoops.
However, it’s always hard to predict who will take over college basketball. Decisions to return to college basketball are finalized so late, and players enter the Transfer Portal throughout the summer. Big moves could be on the horizon without fans even knowing about it.
Don’t forget that the bizarreness of the NCAA Tournament makes it hard to predict who wins even after the regular season. Few teams would have had North Carolina making it so far last year, and no one expected UCLA to go far the year before.
If you can find the crazy team that pieces it all together this early, you can get crazy value with NCAA Tournament future odds. BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) has +1000 odds, and no one is better than +900. With Caleb Love returning, will the Tar Heels win it all?
Caleb Love’s Impact
Caleb Love was second on the team in scoring last year, and he led the team with 34.2 minutes per game. That type of presence is hard to replace, so bringing him back takes pressure away from head coach Hubert Davis.
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Beyond that, Love was an improved perimeter shooter. He was second on the team in threes made last season, and his percentages improved from his freshman year. If he takes another step forward, he will be a menace as soon as the ball is in his hands.
Love also tied for first in assists per game, so he knows what to do with the basketball. He could lower his turnovers, but he mostly made efficient plays. He could either shoot from deep or attack and distribute. With teams worrying about him more next year, expect his assist numbers to improve.
Most importantly, Love brings experience. You have to retain veterans if you want to make it back to a title game, so having someone as talented as Love will change the vibe of the locker room.
The Talent in the ACC
The ACC is going to be interesting. Over the past decade, Coach K and Roy Williams have led the conference in coaching. Now, both coaches are retired. We saw what UNC could do without Williams last year, but replacing Coach K is going to be a challenge for the Blue Devils. If Duke struggles, UNC’s path to a top seed in the NCAA Tournament gets a lot easier.
These rival teams impact each other’s years. Just last season, North Carolina ended Coach K’s career with a win in the Final Four. Beyond that, you pretty much have to get through your rival if you want to make it to the Final Four. Even if you don’t play them in the postseason, you need the wins in the regular season to boost your seeding and make your path easier.
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This will be a two-team conference, and Virginia will be a distant third. If the Tar Heels find a way to outperform Duke once again, they will likely win the ACC and have one of the best resumes in college basketball.
Is UNC the Favorite?
If you look at the NCAAB odds, UNC is in the hunt at the top. Kentucky has the best odds at +900, and Houston is tied with the Tar Heels at +1000.
Because of this, I can’t say that Caleb Love alone makes North Carolina the favorite. They still have to replace plenty of stars. The transfer portal and recruiting cycle were strong, but it is nearly impossible to make it back to the title game after losing it the year before. North Carolina has done this, but that was with the same group of players.
North Carolina exceeded expectations, so I don’t have them as the favorite right now.
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