If North Carolina ends up playing in the NIT, what is the Tar Heels’ history in an event once considered the premier postseason tournament in college basketball? Now, it’s somewhat an afterthought to many, but still serves a purpose.

It gives growing teams from major conferences more games to continue developing, allows teams from smaller conferences opportunities to make a bit of a splash and get valuable experience, and underachieving clubs from power leagues to conclude the campaign with some positives.

UNC would approach inclusion in the field as the latter, if the Heels accepted an invitation. The preseason No. 1 team, Carolina (20-13) would be the first such club to play in the NIT since the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams for the 1984-85 season.

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The Tar Heels have been regulars in the NCAA Tournament, reaching 17 of the last 18, and 44 of the last 47. UNC has participated in two NITs during that span: 2003 and 2010. Carolina’s appearance in the 1974 NIT was the last season in which only one team per conference was allowed in the NCAA Tournament, so the NIT still carried tremendous prestige.

In all, UNC has played in six NITs, winning it in 1971, which was also the only year in which Carolina and Duke met in either national tournament until last April when they faced each other in the Final Four. The Tar Heels defeated Duke, 73-67, on March 25, 1971, in Madison Square Garden, reaching the NIT title game, in which UNC pounded Georgia Tech, 84-66. Tech didn't join the ACC for another eight years.

Playing in the NIT beginning sometime later this week probably doesn't appeal to the Tar Heels. THI asked several following the loss to Virginia on Thursday night in the ACC Tournament, and none said they wanted to. The either didn't want to comment or weren't really sure. Senior forward Armando Bacot tossed it around some, but then exoressing his thoughts.

“I’m a player,” Bacot said. “If Coach (Hubert Davis) tells us we’re playing, (I’ll play). But it’s not something I want to do.”

UNC’s all-time record in its six NIT appearances is 13-5. It won the title in 1971, placed third in 1973, and lost to Dayton in the finals in 2010. The appearances:

1970 – 0-1

1971 – 4-0 – Champions

1973 – 3-1 – 3rd place

1974 – 0-1

2003 – 2-1

2010 – 4-1 – Lost in finals

The Tar Heels and their fans will learn soon enough. The 68-team NCAA Tournament field will be revealed Sunday evening, and not long after, the NIT invitations will go out.