ACC In 2024 NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16 Preview: #1 UNC vs. #4 Alabama
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
NOTE: Our video preview of the UNC-Alabama game is at the bottom of this article. Thank you for your amazing support of the new North Carolina Sports Network, which has added more than 2,000 new YouTube subscribers during March Madness alone.
School: University of North Carolina
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Previous Conference Affiliations: Southern Conference (1921-53), South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1914-19)
ACC Member Since: 1953-54
ACC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 5th (2024), 7th (2023), 5th (2022), 5th (2021), 4th (2020)
NCAA Tournament Bids: 53 (1941, 1946, 1957, 1959, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024)
Sweet 16s*: 31/36 (1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024)
Elite Eights*: 27/29 (1941, 1946, 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2022)
* — ACC/NCAA do not credit Sweet 16s pre-1975 or Elite Eights pre-1951
Final Fours: 21 (1946, 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2022)
NCAA Titles: 6 (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017)
Head Coach: Hubert Davis (53 years old, 3rd season)
As A Player: North Carolina (1988-92); 12 seasons in NBA
Record as Head Coach (Through March 27): 78-30 (.722) in 2+ seasons
Previous HC Experience: none
College AC Experience: North Carolina (2012-21)
Assistant Under: Roy Williams
2023-24 Record (Through March 27): 29-7, 17-3 ACC (1st place)
2023-24 Rankings (AP Poll/BPI/KenPom/NET): #5/#9/#9/#8
2023-24 Offensive/Defensive Efficiency (KenPom): #17/#6
2024 NCAA Tournament/West Region:
#1 UNC 90, #16 Wagner 62 in Round of 64
#1 UNC 85, #9 Michigan State 69 in Round of 32
#1 UNC vs. #4 Alabama, in Sweet 16 (Thursday, 9:39 pm, CBS)
(UNC-Alabama winner will face Arizona-Clemson winner in Elite Eight)
2023-24 North Carolina Tar Heels
(29-7, 17-3 ACC; through March 27)
Starters
PG Elliot Cadeau, 6-1/180, Fr., ACC All-Freshman
24 mpg, 7 ppg, 2 rpg, 42% FG, 65% FT, 17% threes, 149/66 ATO, 4 blocks, 29 steals
prep A-A, national champion at Link (Mo.) Academy; West Orange, N.J.
G RJ Davis*, 6-0/180, Sr., All-American, ACC POY, 1st-Team All-ACC
35 mpg, 21 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 87% FT, 41% threes, 122/54 ATO, 7 blocks, 43 steals
2023 HM All-ACC; 3-year starter; Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y.
G Cormac Ryan, 6-5/195, Gr.
30 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 38% FG, 87% FT, 34% threes, 43/41 ATO, 15 blocks, 23 steals
2023 ND transfer (3-year starter); Milton (Mass.) Academy; New York, N.Y.
F Harrison Ingram, 6-7/235, Jr.; 3rd-Team All-ACC
33 mpg, 12 ppg, 9 rpg, 43% FG, 61% FT, 39% threes, 75/51 ATO, 14 blocks, 49 steals
2023 Stanford transfer (2-year starter); St. Mark’s School, Dallas, Texas
C Armando Bacot*, 6-11/240, Gr.; 2nd-Team All-ACC; ACC All-Defense
30 mpg, 14 ppg, 10 rpg, 55% FG, 78% FT, 40% threes, 56/57 ATO, 55 blocks, 20 steals
2x 1st-team All-ACC; 5-year UNC starter; IMG (Fla.) Academy; Richmond, Va.
Key Reserves
G Seth Trimble, 6-3/195, So.
17 mpg, 5 ppg, 2 rpg, 47% FG, 66% FT, 38% threes, 31/22 ATO, 7 blocks, 13 steals
2023 reserve; Wisconsin POY at Menomonee Falls HS, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
G Paxson Wojcik, 6-5/195, Gr.
8 mpg, 2 ppg, 1 rpg, 33% FG, 71% FT, 21% threes, 12/10 ATO, 0 blocks, 3 steals
2023 Brown transfer (2-year starter); La Lumiere (Ind.) School; Charleston, S.C.
F Jae’Lyn Withers, 6-9/215, Gr.
12 mpg, 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 54% FG, 78% FT, 21% threes, 20/24 ATO, 18 blocks, 16 steals
2023 Louisville transfer (3-year starter); North Mecklenburg HS, Charlotte, N.C.
F Jalen Washington, 6-10/230, So.
8 mpg, 4 ppg, 3 rpg, 70% FG, 64% FT, 53% threes, 7/14 ATO, 21 blocks, 3 steals
2023 reserve; West Side Leadership Academy, Gary, Ind.
*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)
2023-24 Alabama Crimson Tide
(23-11, 13-5 SEC; Through March 27)
Head Coach: Nate Oats (49 years old, 5th season at Alabama)
Record as Head Coach (Through March 27): 211-96 (.687) in 8+ seasons; 96-43 (.691) in 4 seasons at Buffalo; 115-53 (.685) in 4+ seasons at Alabama
2023-24 Rankings (AP Poll/BPI/KenPom/NET): #19/#12/#14/#9
2023-24 Offensive/Defensive Efficiency (KenPom): #4/#101
Starters
PG Aaron Estrada, 6-3/190, Gr., 2023 Hofstra Transfer
30 mpg, 13 ppg, 5 rpg, 45% FG, 86% FT, 31% threes, 160/78 ATO, 7 blocks, 57 steals
G Mark Sears*, *6-1/185, Sr., All-American, 1st-Team All-SEC
33 mpg, 22 ppg, 4 rpg, 51% FG, 86% FT, 44% threes, 142/84 ATO, 3 blocks, 57 steals
G Latrell Wrightsell Jr., 6-3/190, Sr., 2023 Cal-Fullerton Transfer
23 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 45% FG, 100% FT, 44% threes, 42/19 ATO, 1 block, 33 steals
G Rylan Griffen, 6-6/190, So., 1st-Year Starter
26 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 45% FG, 84% FT, 38% threes, 59/48 ATO, 8 blocks, 18 steals
F Grant Nelson, 6-11/230, Sr., 2023 North Dakota State Transfer
25 mpg, 11 ppg, 5 rpg, 49% FG, 81% FT, 27% threes, 53/45 ATO, 52 blocks, 22 steals
Key Reserves
F Mouhamed Dioubate, 6-7/215, Fr.
8 mpg, 3 ppg, 3 rpg, 49% FG, 47% FT, 9% threes, 13/12 ATO, 16 blocks, 10 steals
F Nick Pringle, 6-10/220, Sr., 2022 Dodge City CC Transfer
18 mpg, 7 ppg, 5 rpg, 65% FG, 54% FT, 0 threes, 17/30 ATO, 22 blocks, 10 steals
F Jarin Stevenson, 6-11/210, Fr., Hometown = Chapel Hill, N.C.
17 mpg, 5 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 71% FT, 30% threes, 15/33 ATO, 9 blocks, 8 steals
F Sam Walters, 6-10/198, Fr.
13 mpg, 6 ppg, 3 rpg, 43% FG, 82% FT, 40% threes, 14/17 ATO, 9 blocks, 8 steals
*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)
