UNC Basketball: Teams the Tar Heels Don't Want to See in the NCAA Tournament

North Carolina has the talent to beat anyone in the country, but there are still a bunch of teams that could give the Tar Heels trouble this postseason. In many cases, the style of play and type of personnel could be just as important as actual ability.

The 2015-16 college basketball season has proven that no team is unbeatable. The NCAA tournament will come down to the way each team matches up on the floor in each round. With this mindset, a No. 6 seed could be just as dangerous as a No. 1 seed.

While the next few weeks will help determine North Carolina's seed in the Big Dance, the strong year to this point should keep the squad on the top three lines. This should likely prevent any scary matchups in the first round, but the challenges will be real in the round of 32.

Here is a look at a few teams that could provide early resistance on the Tar Heels' attempted run to the Final Four.

Michigan

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Michigan is no lock to even make the tournament, and it will have to win some key games down the stretch just to get a bid. However, even as a No. 10 seed, this squad can be a scary opponent for top teams.

The Wolverines are a matchup nightmare, usually featuring four or five players on the court who can hit shots from three-point range. They are shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc this season with four different players even better than that on the year.

North Carolina had major problems defending both Notre Dame and Duke due to their ability to spread the floor and make shots from deep. Michigan can do the same, forcing someone like Brice Johnson to defend Duncan Robinson (47.1 percent from three-point range) on the perimeter. Even center Mark Donnal can be a threat from the outside to draw Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks away from the paint.

If Michigan can get a healthy Caris LeVert back for the tournament, which is far from guaranteed, this squad could be even more dangerous.

Obviously, the Wolverines struggle defensively, and UNC could have a field day inside. However, a high-scoring battle with Michigan getting hot from the field could be dangerous for the favorite in this one.

Wichita State

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Unlike Michigan, Wichita State excels thanks to its defense. The squad ranks second in the nation this year with just 59.6 points per game allowed, producing tremendous pressure on ball-handlers and forcing them into mistakes.

Meanwhile, the Shockers are one of the few teams in the country that can match North Carolina in depth as well as experience. Like the Tar Heels, they can go nine or 10 players deep in a game and trust all of them to make plays. They also have one of the top backcourts in the nation in Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, a pair of seniors who have been to two Sweet 16s, a Final Four and had an undefeated regular season.

This team certainly won't be scared of the spotlight when the NCAA tournament comes, and unlike other mid-major teams, Wichita State won't be intimidated by North Carolina's history.

Although the Missouri Valley Conference team has struggled a bit in recent games, this will remain a team no one will want to face in March, especially in a potential second-round matchup.

California

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This is a team you wouldn't want to face until the second weekend, but the latest Bracket Matrix reveals the possibility of a 2-7 matchup between California and North Carolina. That would be scary for the Tar Heels.

Cal is a young team that is only getting better as the year progresses, with elite freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb leading the way. With Tyrone Wallace now healthy, the team has a variety of big guards who can cause problems for the undersized Joel Berry II (6'0") and Marcus Paige (6'1"). Wallace, Jordan Mathews, Jabari Bird and Sam Singer are all at least 6'4" and could overpower UNC's backcourt on both ends of the court.

Of course, perhaps the most threatening aspect of the Bears is their defense. According to KenPom.com, opponents shoot just 40.4 percent from two-point range against this team, the lowest in the nation. Rabb, Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks all know how to protect the rim and make every shot difficult.

Considering the majority of North Carolina's points come in the paint, scoring against Cal would be difficult, similar to the loss against Louisville.

The only positive is that if the Bears keep winning, they will eventually be a high enough seed to avoid until the later rounds.

Baylor

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Baylor was reminded Tuesday that winning in the Big 12 is difficult, falling short at home against Kansas. The difficult schedule continues throughout the regular season and into the conference tournament, potentially hurting the Bears' seed in the NCAA tournament.

Still, North Carolina won't want to face this squad in the second round, Sweet 16 or any round after.

One of the biggest keys to Baylor's success is the frontcourt play of Taurean Prince, Johnathan Motley and Rico Gathers, three men who have the strength, toughness and intensity to outwork anyone for loose balls. According to KenPom.com, the squad ranks third in the nation in offensive rebounding rate this season with Gathers the top player in the nation, bringing in more than one in five missed shots himself.

North Carolina has obvious talent in the post, but the players have gotten lazy at times defensively and on the glass. Baylor would make them pay with second-chance points, something Texas, Louisville and Notre Dame all took advantage of in wins over the Tar Heels.

UNC might have more depth and overall ability, but the toughness might be the difference if these teams see each other in the NCAA tournament.

Michigan State

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If North Carolina does keep winning, the competition will obviously get tougher. While Villanova, Oklahoma, Kansas and others would all be difficult matchups, perhaps the scariest opponent possible is one that might not even get a top seed in Michigan State.

The Spartans are not perfect and have had a few disappointing defeats this year, but they have all the tools to contend for a national championship.

Denzel Valentine is one of the best all-around players in college basketball with the ability to post a triple-double on any given night, while the rest of the team has filled its roles to form an elite squad. The team is experienced, smart and well-coached to make the right decisions on both ends of the court.

While this makes Michigan State tough for anyone to beat, North Carolina could be especially vulnerable. There are no stars in the post, but the group defends the paint and rebounds well, which could limit Johnson's productivity. There are also quality defenders on the perimeter, especially when Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn is back to full strength.

Offensively, the Spartans can simply shoot the lights out. After a 14-of-22 assault from three-point range in a blowout win over Ohio State, they now lead the nation at 43.2 percent on the year.

They can take advantage of UNC's biggest weakness in defending the perimeter while slowing down its biggest strength. This makes Tom Izzo's squad a team the Tar Heels will not want to see in March. 

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