The North Carolina Tar Heels made history this season, being the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded in 1985.
The season was a failure for the Tar Heels as they declined an invite to the NIT shortly after the selection show. Following the season and Selection Sunday, the Tar Heels were named one of the biggest losers from the season for missing out on the tournament.
Here is what CBS Sports Chip Patterson wrote on the Tar Heels shortly after they missed the tournament:
Sunday’s bracket reveal made official what many believed was coming after North Carolina lost to Virginia in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals: The Tar Heels have made history as the first team to start as preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll and finish by missing the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded in 1985. North Carolina ultimately finished as the third team in the first four out of the field. The team was presented with an opportunity to be a No. 1 seed in the NIT; however, coach Hubert Davis announced Sunday night the team has opted not to participate in the NIT, so the story of this historic season has concluded with a Selection Sunday snub.
North Carolina’s infamy comes one year after a magical run to the national championship game with much of the same core having returned for the 2022-23 season. The team, however, failed to display any kind of consistency throughout the season. Even through those frustrations — or perhaps compounding them for UNC fans — is the fact that if several close losses were flipped in their favor, the Tar Heels would be in the tournament. None of those loom larger on Selection Sunday than a triple-overtime loss to Alabama, the No. 1 overall seed.
It’s really no secret that this season was a failure. The players know it, coaches know it and fans know it.
Going from the high expectations coming into the year to this was a big disappointment. And now, Hubert Davis has to figure out a way to get this on track quickly.
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