Gerry Broome/Associated Press
North Carolina didn’t shy from anyone this season, but it didn’t really have to. The Tar Heels beat Duke twice and Gonzaga once, and lost only one game — a November defeat against Texas — to a team that did not make the N.C.A.A. field. They open with Iona (17-15) and then could face Washington, the best team from a weak Pacific-12. Only its last step before the Final Four appears tougher than usual: No. 2 Kentucky. But North Carolina may have some momentum by then.
The Matchups
1. North Carolina (27-6) vs.