After days of speculation, the NCAA officially expanded the men's and women's brackets to 76 teams, with the change taking effect next season. The latest bracket configuration sparked several debates about whether it is good for the tournament's product. While that has been the case for many days, ESPN's Joe Lunardi wasted no time releasing his way-too-early projections for the updated field of 76. Here is where he had the Tar Heels. North Carolina Too Low? Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) bites his jersey against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images After being positioned as a 7-seed in the previous projections, the Tar Heels slipped to a No. 9 seed in the East Region.…