UNC’s Surprising Position in 2026 Bracketology Sparks Early Tournament Buzz

The college basketball offseason is already buzzing, and the North Carolina Tar Heels find themselves right in the thick of it. With some crucial players departing, Coach Hubert Davis and his crew face the classic challenge of regrouping and aiming higher than last year’s stumble. The Tar Heels haven’t been sitting idle, scooping up transfers to bolster the roster and welcoming a fresh trio of recruits led by Caleb Wilson—clearly signaling their intent to bounce back from that disappointing early NCAA exit. Early whispers in bracketology land UNC as a No. 7 seed in the East, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who paints a curious picture with Duke perched atop the same region as the No. 1 seed. Sure, anything can flip a dozen times over the months ahead—but it’s intriguing to peek at the landscape as it stands now. For the Tar Heels, it’s all about turning the page and proving they’re no longer just bubble talk. LEARN MORE

Lunardi mocks the Tar Heels to be a No. 7 seed in the East Region, set to face off against No. 10. Oddly enough, he has Duke as the No. 1 seed in the East Region.Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.This will certainly change a bunch of times over the next year but it’s nice to see what analysts think of the Tar Heels early this offseason.

While there’s a long way to go still, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has released his first mock bracket projections for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. This comes after a flurry of moves in the transfer portal as well as decisions for the NBA. And the good news is that he has UNC in his field at the moment.So far, the Tar Heels have added a handful of players in the transfer portal to go along with a three-player recruiting class headlined by Caleb Wilson. Following that disappointing first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels are hoping to have a better season and not be on the bubble for the majority of it.Also in that region is No. 2 UConn, No. 3 Arizona, and No. 4 Michigan State.

The 2025 offseason has already been an eventful one in college basketball and that’s no different for the North Carolina Tar Heels. After losing key players, Hubert Davis and his staff have to find a way to reload and try to improve on last season.