UNC vs. Duke: Tar Heels Worthy of No. 1 Seed After Trouncing Blue Devils

Now that’s how you make a statement.

No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels absolutely demolished No. 3 Duke 88-70 on the road to make it loud and clear who deserves the No. 1 seed from the ACC. Every starter was in double figures, and Kendall Marshall finished with 20 points 10 assists as the team shot a blistering 54.4 percent from the field. It was a 24-point lead by halftime.

Here’s why the win solidifies a No. 1 seed for one of the favorites to win the championship.

Resume is Worthy

At 27-4 (14-2 ACC), the Tar Heels now have a resume very comparable to No. 4 Kansas. They sport wins over another potential No. 1 seed in No. 5 Michigan State, in addition to wins over No. 15 Wisconsin and Texas.  

Outside of No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Syracuse, nobody has as rock solid of a body of work. That includes No. 8 Missouri, who has loses against Oklahoma State and Kansas State.

With the No. 4 RPI, the computers agree.

Stats Don’t Lie

If the committee looks beyond just wins and losses and the quality of opponents, the Tar Heels are a shoo-in for a No. 1 seed.

They are first in the nation in rebounding (45.7), second in scoring (82.3) and fourth in assists (17.5). There is no question they have the most dangerous offense in all of college basketball and have at least three future NBA stars in Harrison Barnes, Marshall and John Henson.

Only Kentucky can match this team with NBA-caliber talent.

Finishing the Season Strong

The Duke win gives them their second signature win, as it seems the team is playing their best ball of the year.

They have won 12 of 13 games and nine of those wins were by at least 10 points. Marshall is setting up his teammates and getting to the paint at will. His draft stock is rising by the game.

The committee takes a lot of stock in how teams finish and as long as the Tar Heels reach the championship game in the ACC tournament, they deserve the No. 1 seed, regardless of what Duke does. They have the better resume and an 18-point road beatdown to prove to the committee who is the superior team in the ACC.

I’m beginning to strongly consider the Tar Heels as my pick to bring home the championship hardware.