5 reasons why UNC will not win 2024 March Madness

The North Carolina Tar Heels are back in March Madness after missing out last season and declining an invitation to the NIT Tournament. Not only have they made it back, but they also earned a No. 1 seed in the process. As a top seed, the Tar Heels are viewed as one of the favorites to make the Final Four and ultimately cut down the nets as champions.

There is still a long road ahead of the Heels, and there have been a few indications throughout the season of why they may not be able to stand above the rest at the end of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are five reasons why the fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7) will not win March Madness in 2024.

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5 reasons why North Carolina will not win 2024 March Madness

#1, Opponent scoring

The Tar Heels rank as one of the top teams in the country on the offensive side of the ball, but they aren't as dominant when it comes to stopping the opposing team's scorers. They rank 123rd in opponent scoring average this season, allowing 70.2 points per game. While this is by no means a bad average, it isn't great, either.

North Carolina has been a solid rim-protecting team due to the play of senior forward Armando Bacot. Where they've also struggled is getting steals, where they rank 275th in the country in steals per game.

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#2, Shooting

Despite averaging 81.5 ppg, the Tar Heels' shooting numbers are fairly unimpressive. They shoot just 44.9%, including 35.4% from beyond the arc.

During March Madness, it is vital to make the most of each and every possession, as it could be the difference between advancing and going home. It could be an early exit for the Tar Heels if they can't find a way to consistently shoot the ball well in the tournament.

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#3, Tournament competition

The Tar Heels enter March Madness as the top seed in the West. This means they may have to get past teams like 19th-ranked Alabama (21-11), 14th-ranked Baylor (23-10) and ninth-ranked Arizona (25-8) to make it to the Final Four.

They are also on the same side of the bracket as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, the top-ranked UConn Huskies (31-3). So, to even get a shot at the title, they would need to take down the Huskies if both teams reach the Final Four.

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#4, Inconsistency

While the Tar Heels have taken down top teams such as Duke, Clemson and Tennessee, they have fallen to a handful of teams that failed to even earn a tournament bid this season.

North Carolina had losses to Villanova, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. All of those programs were not selected for the NCAA Tournament, and Georgia Tech finished with a record under .500.

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#5, Playing away from their home floor

The sixth-man advantage was real for the Tar Heels at the Dean Dome, where they dropped just one game this season to Clemson. North Carolina will count on its fans traveling well for March Madness to keep its home atmosphere in the tournament.

The other six games UNC lost this season were either played at a neutral site or in someone else's building. Unlike the NIT Tournament, all March Madness games are played at neutral sites, so North Carolina will not have its packed arena of fans to assist them on their journey to the NCAA championship.