North Carolina did not exactly ease past Harvard like many expected them to. The Tar Heels blew two double-digit leads during the game including a 16-point lead in the second half. As the game was winding to a close, the Tar Heels looked like they could start to panic, but head coach Roy Williams righted the ship and the team got the win. Now they prepare to face off against the only other SEC team left in tournament, Arkansas.
North Carolina did not look great in the win. The Tar Heels turned the ball over 17 times, giving Harvard 29 points off mistakes alone. North Carolina cannot afford to be sloppy again. Arkansas might not be Kentucky, but they were one of the only teams consistently beating up on teams in the SEC during conference play. The Tar Heels have had issues against SEC teams this season, turning the ball over 19 times against Florida and 18 against Kentucky. Ball security is an issue and is something that could halt progress in the tournament.
Arkansas is not going to be an easy game. The Razorbacks thrive off turnovers, forcing 551 in just 35 games. That could spell trouble for the Tar Heels who have that as their main issue. The Razorbacks put on full-court presses and force opponents to play fast and risk mistakes and poor shots. North Carolina could be the next victim. Arkansas is in the tournament for the first time since 2008 and are seeking a bit of revenge after they eliminated by North Carolina in the second round.
The Razorbacks will rely on Bobby Portis who earned SEC Player of the Year honors this season, although he did take on criticism in the game against Wofford where he appeared to miss easy shots while going just 5 of 9 from the free throw line. He stressed there are no issues in how he is playing after getting 15 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Arkansas will get a lot out of their offense, but their biggest moves will come on defense and turnovers. The team is ranked No. 3 in turnovers created for a reason and North Carolina needs to make ball security a priority.
