4 Major Conference Teams That Are NCAA Tournament Sleeping Giants

North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels might not be very underrated or underseeded by much, but they're a lurking major conference team that could play a huge role in this big dance. They're a 4 seed in the West region where they could potentially give Wisconsin some trouble in Los Angeles.

The Tar Heels have battled through a tough season, but as we saw in the ACC Tournament, they've come a long way. After making a run to the ACC championship, where they lost to the Fighting Irish, the Tar Heels jumped to the ninth spot in our power rankings.

Why are they a sleeping giant? Despite losing 12 games on the year, the Tar Heels faced the second hardest schedule in the nation, including the second best average of their opponents' Adjusted Offensive Rating and the sixth best average of their Adjusted Defensive Rating. So, while North Carolina's defense is often questioned, they've faced a lot of good offenses.

The real threat, however, is the Tar Heels' ability to score with their fast-paced, high-powered offense. The Tar Heels are in the 91st percentile in offensive efficiency, rank 15th in pace and 10th in Adjusted Tempo. In their last five game games, they're averaging 76.2 points per game, and have become a proven threat to any team in this year's tournament.