North Carolina and San Diego State are set to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament Tuesday night when the First Four tips off. This will be North Carolina’s second straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Hubert Davis, while San Diego State has made the “Big Dance” in each of the past five seasons.
The Tar Heels just narrowly made the field after falling in the ACC Tournament championship to in-state rival Duke. Though North Carolina didn’t impress with a 22-13 overall record — similar to the 20-13 record that kept it out of the 2022 NCAA Tournament — the Tar Heels benefitted from favorable metrics, a weak bubble and a lack of bid stealers from conference tournaments.
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It’s odd to see a traditional blue blood in North Carolina’s position, but the Tar Heels have an opportunity to cement their status against the Aztecs, which were one of four Mountain West teams to make the NCAA Tournament.
San Diego State had an abbreviated run in the MWC Tournament, losing to Boise State in the quarterfinal round. Still, the Aztecs have shown the ability to get hot in March in recent years. In…
