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5 Key Storylines To Watch In The ACC Tournament

By Josh Cornelissen

Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams cuts down the net after winning the ACC regular season championship. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Devils 90-83 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams cuts down the net after winning the ACC regular season championship. The Tar Heels defeated the Blue Devils 90-83 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Is North Carolina The Best Team In The Nation?

The North Carolina Tar Heels have a resume of champions, from marquee wins — 10 top-50 wins — to an ironclad showing in advanced metrics (fourth in RPI). This team is deep and playing better than a year ago, when they came within a last-second shot of cutting down the nets.

The Kansas Jayhawks are currently first in the AP Top 25, with Carolina hanging back at sixth. Of the top-eight teams, they are the only ones with six losses. But none of the teams ahead of North Carolina played in the ACC, a conference that could send as many as 11 teams to the tournament.

If the Tar Heels and All-American Justin Jackson reel off a few victories and defend their ACC tournament crown, they will be locked into a No. 1 seed in the tournament come Sunday. It is expected they will be placed in the South region and play the regional final in Memphis.

The trick will be if an ACC tournament title, along with their outright regular-season title, will be enough to propel them to the top of the S-Curve.

The one blemish on their season is a sub-100 loss to Georgia Tech, but after Josh Pastner was awarded ACC Coach of the Year it looks less damaging, especially in the context of a greater narrative.

The North Carolina Tar Heels may be the best team in the country, whether or not they are awarded that title by the selection committee.

Next: 25 Greatest Individual Seasons in NBA History

If they win the ACC tournament this week, their praises will be sung all the more as they enter the tournament next week set on one more win than last season.