Chansky’s Notebook: Not-So-Great 8’s

Years ending in the number 8 haven’t finished well for Carolina.

The 2018 Tar Heels are just starting out with a long way to go, but ten-year increments back to the beginning of time have good and bad news to them. Good records, bad endings.

In 1918, UNC wound up 9-3 but there was no post-season of any kind. In 1928, with the overall record 17-2, 10-0 at home, the season concluded with a loss to LSU in the Southern Conference tournament. In 1938, another unbeaten record at home and another loss in the old SoContourney. Ditto for the 20-7 team in 1948, losing to N.C. State in the post-season.

Let’s go to the modern ACC era. A year after McGuire’s Miracle and 32-0 season, the 1958 Tar Heels finished 19-7 and missed the NCAA tourney by losing to Maryland in the ACC final. Dean Smith got the ’68 Heels all the way to the national championship game against Lew Alcindor and UCLA before they lost by the biggest margin to date in an NCAA final, 78-55.

Maybe some of you were actually been born by now and remember the next four decades of the not-so-great 8s.

In 1978, Phil Ford played his last game at Carolina in a first-round NCAA loss to San Francisco. Ford almost refused to take off his uniform in the locker room, he was so upset.

In 1988, Carolina surprised all by making the West Regional final before losing in Seattle to Arizona and All-American Sean Elliott and a shooting guard named Steve Kerr, now the coach of the Golden State Dubs.

Okay, grab some pain medication if it’s nearby. We’re now adding the San Antonio factor to this story.

Bill Guthridge’s 1998 Tar Heel team, his first as head coach, won the ACC tournament in Greensboro and as expected made the Final Four in Alamo City. Favored to win it all, UNC with Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter lost on Saturday to Utah.

Ten years later, Roy Williams’ fifth Carolina team also won the ACC championship in Greensboro and reached San Antonio to play Kansas on Saturday. You all remember what happened in that Final Four semifinal, so I won’t go any further except to say Ol’ Roy’s Heels came back the next year to cut down the nets.

So here we are in 2018. Hang on for a wild ride, as these Tar Heels try to get back to a third straight Final Four and, while they’re at it, change some history in old San Antoine!

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