Is somebody out to get North Carolina?

Granted, the Tar Heels didn’t look good Sunday in beating Purdue, but at least the tournament’s top overall seed hung on to win.

Apparently, the committee forgot that part about Carolina being the top seed in this thing. How else can you explain that they had to face traditional power Purdue on Sunday, and then, as a reward for winning, play Tennessee Tuesday night?

Add in Rutgers (which Tennessee beat Sunday) and Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell called her region a Final Four before the tourney started. She was on the money.

Carolina and Tennessee are probably two of the top three teams in the country (argue if you like, but with Tennessee’s schedule and its win over LSU in the SEC Tournament, it’s tough to deny they are better than anyone outside of Carolina and Duke). Yet the Heels and Vols have to meet before the Final Four. Yeah, that’s fair.

But that’s not the only gripe Carolina should have against this committee. Earlier in the tournament Carolina had to play Vanderbilt on Vanderbilt’s home court, and Carolina was the higher seed.

Sylvia Hatchell wasn’t happy, but according to Rachel Carter, women’s basketball writer for Raleigh’s News and Observer and a frequent guest on ACC Nation, the Carolina players didn’t mind too much.

“The players were of the attitude they won at Connecticut, they won at Duke. They didn’t think it could get much harder than dealing with the Cameron Crazies,” Carter told ACC Nation last week.

Here’s the part I really liked. Carter said the Carolina players mimed putting up a glass wall around the Vandy court to keep the fan noise out. You’ve got a like any team that will result to mime to help win a game.

“The Heels themselves were pretty immune to the crowd,” Carter said. “Now, Vanderbilt got jazzed in the second half by its crowd, but it wasn’t as big a factor as the Heels had worried.”

Tennessee almost ended up with a similar situation. If Old Dominion had won its first-round game, the Monarchs would have played second-seeded Tennessee in Norfolk, Va., home to Old Dominion. By the way, ODU was a 10th seed.

Carter said this won’t be a problem next year because teams won’t be allowed to play on their home court early in the tournament (I guess later in the tournament it could happen depending on where the Final Four is played).

As for the Tar Heels, it’s true they’ve now beaten Duke, UConn and Vanderbilt on their home courts. But beating Tennessee (even if it’s in Cleveland) could prove to be tough. The Vols know how this thing works. And I’m not sure they’ll let Carolina stand in between them and the Final Four.

(By the way, early word is Ivory Latta will play. She had to be carried from the court Sunday, but a spokesperson said it was only a cramp and she should be fine for Tuesday night).

A few predictions? OK, here you go: Carolina falls on Tuesday. Duke wins. Maryland wins. And if Crystal Langhorne keeps playing like she did against Baylor Saturday night (34 points, 15 rebounds) …. Well, I’ll go out on a limb here - Maryland wins that national title this year.