Tar Heels Look To Replicate ACC Tournament Success In D.C.

For the first time since 2016, the ACC Tournament has returned to Washington DC, where North Carolina will enter as the No. 1 seed for the 26th time in program history.

The Tar Heels are no stranger to the nation’s capital however, having played in five ACC Tournaments there spanning four different decades.

UNC is 10-3 all-time, reaching the semifinals in all five tournaments and winning the title on two separate occasions.

Its first championship came in 1981, which marked the first season of an expanded eight team field since South Carolina left the conference nine years earlier.

As a two seed, the Tar Heels cruised to a 69-54 win over rival and seven-seed NC State in the quarterfinals i Landover, MD, which is less than 10 miles from the DC line.

With a spot in the title game on the line, senior guard Mike Pepper connected on a 16-foot jumper with eight seconds remaining to defeat Wake Forest in the semifinals 58-57.

The championship game, while played on a neutral court, was a de facto home game for the four-seed Maryland Terrapins, who were appearing in their fifth final in 12 seasons.

Another close call awaited for North Carolina, which used a successful inbounds play to run out the clock and down the Terrapins, 61-60, for its eighth ACC Tournament title.

Freshman Sam Perkins was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after scoring 13 points and pulling down three rebounds in the win.

The Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four just weeks later advancing to the national championship game, a feat accomplished by the other UNC team to capture the ACC title in the nation’s capital area.

35 years separated its championship wins in D.C, as Roy Williams guided the Tar Heels to its 26th in school history in 2016.

UNC cruised to the championship game following a 14-4 ACC record. After defeating both Pittsburgh and Notre Dame by double digits, Joel Berry powered the Tar Heels past Virginia, 61-57, avenging an earlier loss in Charlottesville. Berry’s 19-points earned him MVP honors.

Carolina continued its winning ways en route to the Final Four, before Kris Jenkins’ three-point jumper sunk the Tar Heels’ national title hopes.

In 1976, the ACC Tournament made its debut in the DMV, making its way up north to the Capital Centre in Landover, MD, which would play host to three ACC tournaments.

After an 11-1 league record, the Tar Heels secured the top seed, earning a bye into the semifinals in the seven-team conference. The then-No. 4 ranked team in the country defeated four-seeded Clemson, 82-74, for a spot in the title game.

Six-seeded Virginia capped off a Cinderella run with an ACC championship, downing North Carolina 67-62.

For the third and final time, the ACC Tournament returned to the Capital Centre in 1987. Under Dean Smith, the Tar Heels recorded a 14-0 regular season, just the seventh team ever to finish ACC play without a blemish.

Following a dramatic 84-82 win in double overtime over four-seed Virginia. it's good fortunes ran out. Seventh-seed NC State secured a one point win, 68-67, in the championship game to snap Carolina’s 11-game winning streak.

Advancing to the ACC title game had become commonplace for North Carolina by the time it traveled to D.C. in 2005. Despite its past success in the capital city, an early exit awaited for the No. 1 seed and No. 2 team in the country.

For the first time in four trips, the Tar Heels failed to reach the final, falling in the semis, 78-75, to Georgia Tech. It would be its last loss of the 2004-2005 season, as North Carolina went on to win its fourth NCAA Tournament title.

The overall success in D.C. often translated to further postseason success under Dean Smith and Roy Williams.

North Carolina reached the NCAA Tournament following all five ACC Tournaments, including one National Championship, three Final Fours, and four Sweet Sixteen appearances.

It was a one seed four times and won at least one game in all five trips.

On Thursday, it will look to replicate its winning ways in D.C. and Capital One Arena, when it opens up play at 12 PM against the winner of No. 8 Virginia Tech and No. 9 Florida State.