Back in October, both Kentucky and North Carolina were ranked in the top five of the Preseason AP Poll. If there was talk of a potential matchup in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it almost certainly centered around the Elite Eight or Final Four. Two of college basketball’s bluebloods squaring off, led by two of the sport’s elite bigs, Oscar Tshiebwe and Armando Bacot.
What a difference four months make. Now, neither team is ranked in the AP Poll. With seven games left in the regular season, both are perched precariously on the NCAA Tournament bubble, at major risk of not making the Big Dance.