North Carolina and the madness that is postseason in college basketball have been hand-in-hand more than any other program over the last five-plus decades. And that’s why the Tar Heels absence from the NCAA Tournament and NIT this month is an astounding reality.
This isn’t just because UNC is the first preseason No. 1 team since the NCAA field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to not make the big dance, but its track record over the past 56 years is simply remarkable, but will take a slight hit this season.
The 2022-23 campaign will be just the second over the last 56 postseasons to not include North Carolina, with Tar Heels participating in the NCAA Tournament 48 times in that span, more than any other program. In fact, UNC has the most NCAA appearances in the last 56 NCAA Tournaments, as noted, plus the fewest absences from the postseason, two, in the same period.
The other major blue bloods:
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Kentucky – 46 NCAAs, 4 NITs, 6 absences
UCLA – 45 NCAAs, 2 NITs, 9 absences
Kansas – 44 NCAAs, 2 NITs, 10 absences
Duke – 40 NCAAs, 5 NITs, 11 absences
Indiana – 37 NCAAs, 6 NITs, 13 absences
The lone Carolina club before this season to not participate in either postseason tournament was the 2001-02 Tar Heels, who finished the season 8-20 overall, including 4-12 in the ACC.
A bit of irony is that was then-coach Matt Doherty’s second season at the helm, and this year is Hubert Davis’ second season after replacing Roy Williams, who retired following the 2020-21 campaign.
Unlike the 2002 team, the current Tar Heels were extended an invitation to the NIT after just missing out on the NCAAs. At 20-13 overall, and having finished 11-9 in the ACC, UNC’s NET ranking of 47 had it rated as one of the top teams available to the NIT. But with the strain of a season not living up to expectations, the wear and tear on the players, and the best option moving forward was to move on, North Carolina won’t be in the postseason this time around.
As a quick side note, three years after the season since 1967 in which UNC was not in a postseason tournament, the Tar Heels won the national championship in 2005.
