By R.L. Bynum
It is still early in the season, but it’s already NCAA resume-building time for the No. 9 North Carolina men’s basketball team.
The 87–76 loss at Madison Square Garden to No. 5 and reigning NCAA champion UConn (NET ranking of 6) on Dec. 5 was the first of six Quad 1 opponents in seven games under the current NET rankings. The next one is against No. 14 Kentucky (36) at 5:30 Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.
After that, there are only four Quad 1 games for the rest of the season.
The Tar Heels (7–2) are 1–2 in Quad 1 games (beating No. 12 Tennessee (NET ranking of 12) 100–92 at home on Nov. 29 and losing to UConn 87–76 and, on Nov. 24 in the Bahamas, Villanova 83–81 in overtime), 1–0 in Quad 2 games (the 87–72 victory Nov. 23 in the Bahamas over Arkansas) and are 3–0 in both Quad 3 and Quad 4 games.
NCAA quadrant system
Quadrant 1 (UNC is 1–2): Home games against teams with a NET ranking of 30 or better, neutral-site games against teams ranked 50 or better and road games against teams ranked 75 or better
Quadrant 2 (UNC is 1–0): Home 31–75, neutral 51–100, road 76–135
Quadrant 3 (UNC is 3–0): Home 76–160, neutral 101–200, road 135–240
Quadrant 4 (UNC is 3–0): Home 161 or lower, neutral 201 or lower, road 241 or lower
The NCAA tournament committee uses the NET rankings as one of its metrics to determine who makes the field and how to seed teams. NET rankings will fluctuate throughout the season, and the only quad designation that matters is where your opponents stand on Selection Sunday, not where they ranked when the game was played.
UNC’s NET ranking seems ridiculously low at No. 32, but that will shoot up with success in the five Quad 1 games between now and Jan. 10.
Under the current rankings, the Tar Heels’ next two games — Saturday’s Kentucky game and Wednesday’s Jumpman Invitational matchup in Charlotte against No. 11 Oklahoma (NET ranking of 14) — are Quad 1 contests.
After facing Charleston Southern (351) in a Quad 4 home game on Dec. 29, Carolina faces ACC teams for the rest of the schedule. That stretch starts with consecutive Quad 1 road games on Jan. 2 against Pittsburgh (42), Jan. 6 vs. No. 24 Clemson (11) and Jan. 10 against N.C. State (54).
It is nearly another month before the Tar Heels get more Quad 1 chances, and they come in back-to-back games: Feb. 6 at home against No. 24 Clemson (11) and Feb. 10 at No. 15 Miami (52).
The only other Quad 1 games under the current rankings are Feb. 24 at Virginia (20) and both games against No. 21 Duke (25).
Quad breakdown of UNC schedule
| Opponent | NET ranking | Quad designation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radford | 181 | 4 | Win |
| Lehigh | 319 | 4 | Win |
| UC Riverside | 262 | 4 | Win |
| (N) Northern Iowa | 143 | 3 | Win |
| (N) Villanova | 46 | 1 | Loss |
| (N) Arkansas | 99 | 2 | Win |
| Tennessee | 12 | 1 | Win |
| Florida State | 128 | 3 | Win |
| (N) Connecticut | 6 | 1 | Loss |
| (N) Kentucky | 36 | 1 | |
| (N) Oklahoma | 14 | 1 | |
| Charleston Southern | 351 | 4 | |
| At Pittsburgh | 42 | 1 | |
| At Clemson | 11 | 1 | |
| At N.C. State | 54 | 1 | |
| Syracuse | 93 | 3 | |
| Louisville | 291 | 4 | |
| At Boston College | 78 | 2 | |
| Wake Forest | 87 | 3 | |
| At Florida State | 128 | 2 | |
| Georgia Tech | 159 | 3 | |
| Duke | 25 | 2 | |
| Clemson | 11 | 1 | |
| At Miami | 52 | 1 | |
| At Syracuse | 93 | 2 | |
| Virginia Tech | 57 | 2 | |
| Virginia | 20 | 1 | |
| Miami | 52 | 2 | |
| N.C. State | 54 | 2 | |
| Notre Dame | 192 | 4 | |
| At Duke | 25 | 1 |
UNC season statistics
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 10 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 17 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 9 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | 8 p.m. | vs. East Carolina | ACCN |
| 30 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Florida State | ESPN2 |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | 2:15 | at SMU | The CW |
| 10 | Saturday | 6 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 14 | Wednesday | 9 p.m. | at Stanford | ACCN |
| 17 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at California | ACCN |
| 21 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 or 2:30 | at No. 23 Virginia | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 3 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 11 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 3 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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