The First Round of the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament tips off on Thursday and the North Carolina Tarheels will face a play-in team. UNC claimed a No. 1 seed and will face the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between the Howard Bison and Wagner Seahawks. The 1 vs. 16 matchup will take place on Charlotte on Thursday.
No. 1 UNC Tarheels
NET: 8
KenPom Overall: 9
KenPom O: 24
KenPom D: 6
Record: 27-7
Strength of Schedule: 21
Conference: ACC
Conference Record: 17-3
North Carolina’s ACC season couldn’t have gone much smoother this year, as they defeated rival Duke in both meetups in the regular season and earned the top seed in the conference tournament. The Tar Heels have bounced back in a big way after missing out on the NCAA Tournament last season, and will be looking for something closer to their 2022 Final Four run.
The Tar Heels boast one of the nation’s top defenses, holding opponents to 40.4% from the field in the regular season (15th in the nation). They also grab 41 rebounds per game (5th in the nation). They fell early in the season against UConn and Kentucky, and lost to Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and Clemson in conference play.
No. 16 Wagner Seahawks
Wagner Seahawks
NET: 290
KenPom Overall: 293
KenPom O: 334
KenPom D: 171
Record: 16-15
Strength of Schedule: 352
Conference: Northeast
Conference Record: 7-9
Quad 1 Record: 0-2
Wagner is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003 and its inclusion is a bit of a surprise. The Seahawks finished the regular season with a sub-.500 before going on an unexpected run through the NEC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. They pulled off upset victories over Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut State before taking down Merrimack in the championship game to earn the league’s autobid to the Big Dance.
Junior guard Melvin Council Jr. was the engine for Wagner this season, putting up 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Fellow guard Tahron Allen is also a player to watch as he averaged 10.8 points and 5.1 boards a contest.
2024 March Madness: No. 1 UNC vs. No. 16 Wagner Seahawks odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: North Carolina -22.5
Over/Under: 132
Moneyline: North Carolina -8000, Wagner +2200