ACC Tournament 2012: UNC Will Make Statement to Country with Dominant Win

North Carolina has a golden opportunity in the ACC Tournament to make the rest of the country shudder. This week in Atlanta, the Tar Heels will do just that. 

With UNC's talent, the best thing they can do is put the rest of the country on notice that they're on a firm path to the national championship. That same logic isn't necessarily true for all teams in the conference, but it is for the Tar Heels. 

Yesterday, I wrote that Duke would be better served to go ahead and look beyond the ACC Tournament. The thinking there was basically that they are better served as the East's No. 2 seed than the West's No. 1. Based on the Bracketology projections of ESPN's Joe Lunardi, they will logically fall into one of those spots, depending on where they finish.

But that's Duke, this is North Carolina.

The logic behind saying that about the Blue Devils is that the travel schedule is much easier for them and their fans as the East's No. 2. While that's true for the Tar Heels as well, they are a much more talented team.

UNC doesn't really need the extra help from a cushy travel schedule. They need to make a statement.

If you remember back to the beginning of the season, the near-unanimous top team was not Kentucky. No, it was the Tar Heels. They were the team with the veteran leaders Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes.  

Kentucky and, to a lesser extent, Syracuse outshined the Tar Heels this season, but you never want to discount a team of veterans come tournament time. 

The Wildcats are a fantastic team and if I knew they would be together for three or four years, I would bet anything on them winning a national championship. But I know that they won't be together that long. They are a group of freshmen that will not only not be there next year, but have no experience on that stage. 

If they see a team like North Carolina go out and mow through the ACC Tournament, it sends a firm message. The message is that the experienced team is also there to play and backs a lot of talent. 

For a team that lacks a little bit of talent, like Duke, you want the best logistical scenario. A team like UNC that has all the talent wants the best intimidation scenario. That means blowing through the conference tournament, ideally with another convincing win over Duke.

Look for that to happen. The Tar Heels are the top team in the conference and will now firmly show that. They have a nice mental edge over Duke, winning the game at Cameron in blowout fashion. A rematch wouldn't be that bad, but it wouldn't be close either. 

The Tar Heels will enter the NCAA Tournament on a roll, making it clear to the rest of the country that they are as good as any team in the country. 

Follow @mdixon1985