This season, North Carolina has personified the word streaky.
After starting the season 6-3, the Tar Heels then went 11-1 before ending the regular season 4-6.
Then UNC kicked it back into gear, beating Boston College, No. 14 Louisville and No. 3 Virginia to make the ACC Tournament title game, where it lost to No. 11 Notre Dame.
Now the Heels are the No. 4 seed in the West and will face No. 13 Harvard, who beat Yale Saturday in a one-game Ivy League playoff.
It has been an emotional season in Chapel Hill. Longtime legendary coach Dean Smith died in February. He was a mentor to current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams.
Harvard and Yale tied for the Ivy League regular season title and needed a win-and-in playoff game to decide the conference’s automatic bid. The Crimson won 53-51.
It’s the fourth-straight year Harvard is in the Big Dance.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
The Basics
Who:
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Harvard
What:
NCAA Tournament – Round of 64
When:
Thursday, March 19
Where:
Jacksonville, Florida
Time:
7:20 p.m. Eastern
Channel:
TNT
Line:
North Carolina (-10.5). Get the all lines and odds from sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Scouting North Carolina
Record: 24-11 overall, 11-7 ACC
Coach: Roy Williams, 12th season at UNC (27th overall)
Offensive Points Per Game: 77.9
Defensive Points Allowed Per Game: 68.4
Scoring Leader: Marcus Paige, 13.9
Rebounding Leader: Brice Johnson, 7.7
Assists Leader: Paige, 4.6
Scouting Harvard
Record: 22-7 overall, 11-3 Ivy League
Coach: Tommy Amaker, 8th season
Offensive Points Per Game: 64.2
Defensive Points Allowed Per Game: 57.2
Scoring Leader: Wesley Saunders, 16.3
Rebounding Leader: Steve Moundou-Missi, 7.4
Assists Leader: Siyani Chambers, 4.3