The 2026 ACC Tournament starts Tuesday, March 10, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, but UNC basketball won’t play until Thursday, March 12 (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Tar Heels (24-7) enter the postseason as a top-25 team, but they’ll have to keep their season alive without freshman star Caleb Wilson, who had season-ending surgery to repair a right thumb injury. UNC posted a 5-2 record with Wilson sidelined, but it ended the season with a 15-point loss at Duke.
Current NCAA Tournament projections and bracketology have the Tar Heels projected to be a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in March Madness. UNC has played more than half of its games without Wilson, senior guard Seth Trimble (who missed nine games) or junior center Henri Veesaar (two games). The Tar Heels were 13-3 in those games.
The ACC Tournament is being played in Charlotte for the 15th time, including the fourth at Spectrum Center. Duke (1992, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2019, 2025) has won six ACC titles, but UNC (1968, 1969, 1991, 1994, 2008) is right behind the Blue Devils with five league tournament titles in the Queen City. Georgia Tech (1990, 1993) and N.C. State (1970) were the other winners.
Here’s a breakdown of the 73rd edition of the tournament, including a preview of UNC’s potential path and predictions.
UNC basketball ACC Tournament history
The Tar Heels have won 18 ACC Tournament championships with a 110-53 overall record in the annual event. UNC has the second-most wins and titles behind rival Duke, aiming for the program’s first tournament title since 2016 in Washington, D.C.
UNC, which has a 50-14 record in the quarterfinals, is a No. 4 seed for the eighth time in program history. The Heels have a 4-6 record as a No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. UNC has a 24-9 record in Charlotte, its second-most wins at an ACC Tournament location (the Heels have won 43 games in Greensboro).
UNC basketball predictions for ACC Tournament
Will the Tar Heels play Virginia Tech, Wake Forest or Clemson? I’m taking the Tigers to earn a rematch with UNC, which earned a 67-63 win against Clemson in the regular season at the Smith Center. The Tar Heels have a 15-1 record against the Tigers in the ACC Tournament, so I’ll take UNC to get No. 16 in Charlotte. Carolina hasn’t lost its first game in the ACC Tournament since 2014.
Top-seeded Duke is dealing with injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II and coach Jon Scheyer said he would be “shocked” if Foster and Ngongba play in Charlotte. The Blue Devils could have a tricky matchup against Florida State, one of the hottest teams in the league, or a Cal squad hoping to make the NCAA Tournament. But Duke is No. 1 in the nation for a reason and it has the best player in the nation in Cameron Boozer.
After splitting with Duke in the regular season, the Wilson-less Tar Heels will get another shot at taking down their Tobacco Road rival in the semifinals. But UNC is 9-15 against Duke in the ACC Tournament and hasn’t beaten the Blue Devils in the event since 2018, losing eight of the last nine in the postseason tournament. UNC will bow out in the semifinals and begin preparation for the NCAA Tournament. Duke will beat Virginia in the ACC Tournament championship game.
