UNC takes on Michigan State this evening in Charlotte with a Sweet Sixteen berth on the line.
The two programs are plenty familiar with each other when it comes to this time of year, of course, but both will be looking to prove something as the NCAA Tournament rolls on.
The Spartans were 10-10 in the Big Ten this year with wins over Baylor and Illinois.
They finished the season in a bit of a rough patch, losing five of their last seven games.
Tom Izzo’s squad came out on Thursday and dispatched Mississippi State, a team that had just blown out Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
It has been trendy for talking heads to pick Carolina as the first #1 seed that will be knocked out of the tournament.
The second half against Wagner showed what the Tar Heels can do when they flex their muscles, and they’ll need to do that again today if they want to keep dancing next weekend.
UNC was in the middle of practice when Hubert Davis whistled it to a halt.
The Tar Heels were a couple of hours from departing.
The return of Harrison Ingram’s sweet jumper has No. 5 North Carolina returning to the Sweet 16. Ingram scored 17 points and had five 3-pointers.
