The Tar Heels might need to win the conference tournament this year to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament and keep playing in March. A look at how UNC could do that.

The long wait ended in elation for the North Carolina men's basketball team on Selection Sunday, as the NCAA Tournament selection opted to include the Tar Heels as one of the last teams in the field for this year's Big Dance.

The Tar Heels got into the field as a 12 seed and will be in the First Four game and will face off against San Diego State on Wednesday night. It's a shocking result to some as the Tar Heels were firmly on the bubble going into Selection Sunday and a lot of mock brackets had the Tar Heels as one of the first four teams out.