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March Madness is officially here, and the stakes are high as North Carolina and San Diego State face off in a First Four matchup tonight at 9:10 p.m. ET in Dayton, Ohio. The winner punches their ticket to the main bracket, while the loser will be watching from home.
North Carolina (22-13) comes into this game with something to prove. Their inclusion in the tournament raised some eyebrows, especially with only one Quad 1 win on their resume. But all of that must be put behind them now because, well, they’re here, and they have the talent to make noise. The Tar Heels have a very good offense, averaging 78.5 points per game, but their defense has been shaky at times, allowing 72.3 points per game. If UNC wants to survive and advance, they’ll need to control the tempo, limit the isolations on offense, and knock down shots early.
San Diego State (21-9), on the other hand, is one of the most efficient defensive teams in the country. The Aztecs have a defensive rating of 97.4, which is good enough for 14th in the country. They’re not a high-scoring team, putting up 70.8 points per game, but they win by slowing opponents down and forcing mistakes. If they can turn this into a grind-it-out battle, they’ll have a real shot and, quite frankly, the advantage in this First Four matchup.
This game is a classic clash of different styles—UNC’s fast-paced offense vs. SDSU’s suffocating defense. Whichever team imposes its will early is likely to come out on top. With both programs looking to prove they belong in the tournament, expect a hard-fought, physical battle in Dayton.
