Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner says UNC is capable of making Final Four run

Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner was impressed with North Carolina after the Tar Heels dominated his team 88-65 on Saturday night.

Although North Carolina is 12-4 overall and has won four of its last five games, the Tar Heels are still unranked. According to Pastner, the AP Top 25 voters are missing something.

“Anyone not having them in the Top 10 in the country, you’re missing something there,” Pastner told reporters on Monday. “They could go to the Final Four … Duke and North Carolina could win the national title.”

North Carolina has been more stable lately after a frustrating start to the 2021-22 season. The Tar Heels lost early nonconference games to Villanova and Tennessee, but are off to a 4-1 start in ACC play.

Center Armando Bacot is a big reason for the recovery. He’s produced seven consecutive double-doubles and has scored 29 points in back-to-back games.

North Carolina has struggled on the defensive end. It ranks No. 73 nationally in defensive efficiency according to KenPom

. The Tar Heels were solid on that end vs. the Yellow Jackets, limiting them to 3-of-14 shooting beyond the arc.

This is a big week upcoming for UNC. It has two very tough road matchups, beginning with first-place Miami on Tuesday. On Saturday, the Tar Heels will travel to face Wake Forest in a game that could have implications on the NCAA Tournament field.

Tipoff vs. the Hurricanes is 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.