North Carolina opens play Friday in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed when the Tar Heels face No. 9 seed Wisconsin at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN.

The Tar Heels are 18-10 overall and the Badgers are 17-12, which includes a 10-10 record in Big Ten play.

This will be UNC’s 51st appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels are 124-47 in NCAA Tournament games with six national championships, a record 20 Final Fours, 28 Elite Eight appearances, and 34 trips to the Sweet 16.

UNC Coach Roy Williams is 29-0 in NCAA Tournament first round games, with the last 15 leading the Tar Heels. UNC is 45-12 in NCAA Tournament games under Williams. He has led UNC to three national championships in 2005, 2009, and 2017, as well as an NCAA title game appearance in 206. He also guided the Tar Heels to the Final Four in 2008.

We asked our staff to predict how the Tar Heels will do in the NCAA Tournament, and here are our picks: