Dick Vitale warned UNC and Kentucky, two preseason Top 5 teams whose March Madness hopes now hinge on a strong end to the season.
The home stretch of the 2022-23 regular season is upon us, which isn’t necessarily good news for college basketball teams like UNC and Kentucky.
The Tar Heels and Wildcats were supposed to be battling for a No. 1 spot in the NCAA Tournament at that time. Instead, they both fight to get an invite.
Dick Vitale addressed these two teams specifically on Twitter, portraying them as blue bloods who need big wins down the stretch if they want to be part of March Madness.
March Madness bracketology: UNC and Kentucky may not be there
North Carolina was ranked number 1 during the preseason. However, they stumbled in late November, losing four straight games to Iowa State, Alabama, Indiana and Virginia Tech. They spent the rest of the season trying to find their feet again, but they had little success. They have just lost four of their last five games and are winless in eight attempts.
On the plus side, they have two Q1 winning opportunities against NC State and Virginia.
The Wildcats were No. 4 in the preseason but they found a way to stumble at regular intervals throughout the season. Since losing to Kansas in late January, they’ve lost two more times to Arkansas and Georgia, weakening their record.
However, there are plenty of opportunities to impress the selection committee. Four of their last five games have been Q1 games.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Tar Heels as one of his final four teams to enter. While the Wildcats are in the top four out. The last games of the season are going to be critical for both teams.
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