The North Carolina Tar Heels officially know who their first-round opponent will be in the 2026 NCAA tournament. After being seeded as the No. 6 seed in the South Region, the Tar Heels learned that they will be facing the No. 11 seed VCU Rams on Thursday at 6:50 P.M. ET.
Considering that North Carolina enters the tournament on a two-game skid and without its best player available, the Tar Heels will be content with being ranked as a top-24 team in this year’s field. Although there is a five-seed difference between these two teams, do not be mistaken about how closely these teams match up against each other. With all of that being said, here are three ways North Carolina can defeat VCU and advance to the second round.
Force Turnovers and Get Out in Transition
Without Caleb Wilson, the Tar Heels’ halfcourt offense is stagnant and mundane at times. While getting into an up-and-down, high-tempo game can be a dangerous formula to lose control of a contest, North Carolina thrives on creating havoc for its opponents.
Seth Trimble is the main benefactor of this style of play, as the senior guard is capable of taking any defensive rebound coast-to-coast. Additionally, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard is not the most prolific scorer in.
This means that North Carolina must be steady and opportunistic on defense, as those will open up everything else on the offensive end of the court.
Henri Veesaar Must Play Well
The junior center has been a catalyst all season for North Carolina, and that is even more of the case without Wilson in the picture. If Veesaar struggles, the Tar Heels virtually have no chance to beat a single formidable opponent, which VCU clearly is.
Veesaar recorded 28 points and 17 rebounds against Clemson last week, and North Carolina could not take advantage of that performance. A subpar performance that includes inefficient shooting would be a death sentence for the Tar Heels.
Controlling the Glass
VCU’s three-point shooting and scoring offense are underrated, as the team ranks inside the top 52 nationally in both categories. Because of that, North Carolina cannot afford to give up extra possessions to the Rams, who are fully capable of taking over the game from beyond the arc.
The Tar Heels have been susceptible to explosive guards, who can generate offensive production for themselves and their teammates. Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson each have to accumulate at least seven rebounds to ensure the Tar Heels stay within striking distance throughout the game.
