“They’re playing the best basketball in the country": Former Duke guard Jay Williams heaps praise on archrivals UNC ahead of March Madness

Former Duke guard Jay Williams has showered praise on conference rivals UNC. The College GameDay analyst reckons Hubert Davis' North Carolina team is playing some of the most eye-catching basketball in the country.

Ahead of North Carolina's clash against NC State in the ACC Tournament final on Saturday, Williams said:

"The one thing I've always questioned about the Carolina guys is just like that mentality. You know, we've called a couple of their games this year and appeals like at times they take their foot off the gas, nobody questions, their athleticism or the way they're built with their skill set."

"It's just whether they're paying attention to their opponent. You and I talked about something in the background. You mentioned to me about Harrison Ingram, going against Blake Henson eluded the fact that he felt like he deserved to be first team all ACC right."

He added:

"And he took that personally, to me seeing North Carolina engaged that way. I think they're playing the best basketball in the country. And UConns are a great team.

"We're talking about Houston. We'll talk about Purdue, but these teams got a legitimate chance to win the whole thing."

The North Carolina Tar Heels ended as the ACC regular season champions this year. They racked up a 25-6 overall record (17-3 in the conference). North Carolina beat Duke in its final regular season game.

The Tar Heels beat Florida State 92-67 in the first round of the ACC Tournament before taking down the Pittsburgh Panthers 72-65 in the semifinals. North Carolina squares off against NC State in the ACC Tournament final on Saturday.

The Tar Heels are the favorite to win the ACC Tournament, but Williams expects North Carolina to make a deep run in the postseason.

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How to watch UNC vs NC State? TV schedule and live stream details for ACC Tournament final

UNC coach Hubert Davis

The UNC vs NC State ACC Tournament final will be broadcast live on ESPN. Fans can also live stream the contest on Fubo TV.

The UNC vs NC State game takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The ACC Tournament final kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET.