NCAA Bracket 2012 Predictions: 6 Reasons UNC Is Destined to Win It All

I'm sure North Carolina's loss to Florida State has many questioning how far they will make it in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. My advice to those of you filling out March Madness brackets—don't count out the Tar Heels.

North Carolina didn't have to come away with the title to prove anything. As a matter of fact, they haven't won the ACC tournament championship and the national title in the same year since 1982. Even the 2009 team—which was arguably one of the best in NCAA history—didn't even make it to the ACC championship.

This team has experience in the big games and is hungry for a national title. If they can win a title this year, the 2012 NBA Draft will be an easier decision for underclassmen John Henson and Harrison Barnes. Tyler Zeller is headed to the draft no matter what—he is a senior. This may be the last hurrah for this bunch of potential lottery picks.

Expect them to play like it's their last day in a Carolina uniform. And that's the last thing their tourney opponents want to hear from a team with this much talent.

Losing John Henson Made Bench Better

North Carolina's leading rebounder and shot blocker—also logging about 14 points per game—was out for the ACC Tournament after just five minutes into the quarterfinals. He was also named first-team All-ACC and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Despite the loss of John Henson, UNC managed to get into the championship game and would get within two points of a title—against a team that had pounded them 90-57 on Jan. 14.

The Tar Heels had Henson in their prior meeting with Florida State. Through 113 minutes of the ACC Tournament, though, they didn't.

Freshman forward James Michael McAdoo filled in for Henson and played an average of 28 minutes per game in the tourney. Only once, through the regular season, did McAdoo play over 18 minutes in a game. He didn't put up Henson numbers, but did a solid job filling in at nine points and six rebounds per game.

McAdoo also had six steals over the course of the tourney—four of them came in the ACC Championship. According to the newsobserver.com, Henson had this to say of the young McAdoo:

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"He knows what to do now. He knows what spots he's comfortable in. He knows where he can hit the shots, and he's attacking. And that's what you want."

"

He wasn't the only one to get some valuable time in for the Heels. Freshman guard P.J. Hairston was finally able to shoot out of his slump. He managed to knock down three three-pointers over a three-minute span in the title game.

Senior guard Justin Watts got extended playing time, too. He didn't put up a lot of numbers, but he snatched three steals and impacted the games with high activity over his average of 12 minutes.

North Carolina may have lost the title game, but they got there without one of their star players. What was a weak bench throughout the regular season gained invaluable experience and came out of the ACC tourney much stronger—and more confident.

According to CBS Sports, coach Roy Williams expects to have Henson back for their first game on Friday.

Making Free Throws

On the season, North Carolina was shooting just 68 percent from the charity stripe, according to ESPN. During the ACC Tournament, they shot 74 percent from the line—and 76 percent in their last eight games.

That is crucial when a team averages almost 25 free-throw attempts per game.

John Henson is eighth on the team in free-throw percentage, shooting 51 percent on the season. However, he has played a part in Carolina's improved accuracy from the free-throw line. Henson is 21 of 29 from the charity stripe over the last nine games.

Few players get to the line more than Tyler Zeller, with 204 attempts on the season. He is sinking 81 percent of them—and we saw him knock down 20 of them on Feb. 29 against Maryland.

If Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall can stay consistent, too, the amount of free throws this team takes will make up for their inconsistencies from behind the arc.

Rebounding

At an average height of 6'6”, the Tar Heels are big enough to rebound over any team in the NCAA Tournament. No team in the country averages more rebounds per game than UNC. The Heels are pulling down 45.2 per game.

Tyler Zeller and John Henson, alone, average almost 20 rebounds per contest.

Carolina's shooting can be shaky at times, but their relentlessness on the offensive glass has them  pulling down 15.6 offensive rebounds per game—no team in the tourney grabs more.

North Carolina has attempted more shots than any other team in the nation, and that has a lot to do with their rebounding—and their transition game.

Transition Game

It's no news that a Roy Williams team runs the floor harder than anyone else. They lead all tourney opponents with an 82-points-per-game average. That has a lot to do with the way they get up and down the floor.

Marshall has outstanding court vision and gets the ball down the floor in a hurry. He doesn't do it with quick feet like Ty Lawson; he just launches the ball down the court faster than Lawson could ever run.

Tyler Zeller is simply insane for a man his size. There's nothing like watching a seven-footer beat guards down the floor—and nobody does it better than Z. He also has great hands to catch bombs from point guard Kendall Marshall, along with the body control to finish.

When it isn't Zeller ahead of the pack, there is always Harrison Barnes or Reggie Bullock leading the way on a fast break. Both of them finish well and do a great job of drawing fouls.

Not only does their running ability give them extra possessions in the game, but it also wears down their opponents. Few teams can run with them—and their opponents better have a deep bench to keep pace.

The Best Pure Point Guard

Before the Duke game on Mar. 3, naysayers may have had an argument that Kendall Marshall isn't the best pure point guard in the nation. Since then, there's nothing you can tell me that would convince me he is anything but the best.

Marshall is averaging 9.7 assists per game on the season, but only 7.8 points. Since Duke, he has averaged 15 points per game. Marshall has become more aggressive and is getting into the paint and scoring more than he has throughout the entire season.

In his last four games, he has reached double digits four times—he only reached that mark four times through the previous 30 games.

He has also become a threat from beyond the arc, shooting 50 percent from that range in the ACC Tournament. Teams would just let him shoot away before, but now they have to respect him from the top of the key. This shortens the space between Marshall and the defender, allowing him to blow by with more consistency.

Not only does this boost his stat lines, but his teammates get more open looks as he draws defenses in.

Playmakers All over

Kendall Marshall isn't without great targets to boost his assist totals. Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson received first-team All-ACC honors this year—and deservedly so.

Harrison Barnes is one of the deadliest players in the tournament. He has had his struggles of late, but he looked to be breaking out again versus Florida State. Barnes finished with 23 points, shot 50 percent from the floor, snagged seven rebounds and didn't miss a free throw.

Barnes has great size at 6'8” and has used that to his advantage in the post. He also makes use of his athleticism to spin around defenders and get to the bucket. He doesn't have elite speed, but he has a quick first step to get by his defender.

Tyler Zeller is just a beast in the paint. I'm not sure if anyone gets the ball out of their hands fast than Zeller. He is extremely accurate shooting the hook shot with both his right and left hand. When he doesn't have room for a good shot, he finds a way to draw contact and get Carolina in the bonus.

John Henson's 7'4” wingspan makes him a very tough person to shoot over, averaging three blocks per game. He is also a very tough player to defend because of that, too.

Henson will find the back door for an alley-oop, spin around defenders in the post or just spot up for a 16-footer. You don't expect great shooting form from a guy of his stature, but the big man has a very smooth stroke—and plenty of confidence to take the shot.

Consistency can be an issue with this team, but with that many playmakers on the court, someone is always waiting to take over the game.

There are a lot of great teams in the NCAA Tournament, but few are as intimidating as the Tar Heels of North Carolina.

For your printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA tournament, click here.