North Carolina entered the Associated Press preseason poll as the No. 1 team in America. After an improbable fall that ended with a spot in the NCAA tournament on Selection Sunday, UNC’s campaign is over.
The Tar Heels, the first team to start No. 1 and the first team to miss the NCAA Tournament since the expansion in 1985, announced that they would not accept an invitation to the NIT.
“All season long our focus and goal has been to be the best team we can possibly be and reach our full potential to give us another chance to compete, play and win,” coach Hubert Davies said in a statement. Can.” “While we no longer have that opportunity and this season was not what we had hoped for, I want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and love for Carolina basketball.”
The year before, North Carolina marched through the NCAA tournament field and held a 12-point lead over Kansas in the national title game before eventually losing to the Jayhawks. Armando Bacot and other stars returned from that UNC squad, and now, the Tar Heels are at the center of one of the biggest slumps in NCAA history.
A four-game losing streak that began in November was the beginning of drama for a North Carolina team that made just 30% of its 3-point attempts in league play a year after making 37% of its shots in ACC action.
Davis’s 2023 recruiting class is ranked 24th by ESPN.
“Many factors go into post-season play and we believe now is an opportunity to focus on moving forward, preparing for next season and again competing for the ACC and NCAA championships,” Davis said in the statement. ” “I also want to thank our great fans for their incredible support. Our commitment to you is what drives us to improve our program in every way.”
