In a way, this was how Carolina’s disappointing 2022-23 season had to end.
The raw talent of the team kept it in the thick of things until late in the game. Junior guard R.J. Davis put the Tar Heels on his back with 24 points and several outstanding defensive plays from Leaky Black kept Virginia from pulling away. But mistakes were the name of the game, and UNC made too many of them: missed free throws, fouls away from the basket and 11 turnovers, compared to just six from the Cavaliers.
It all contributed to a 68-59 loss in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Greensboro, which almost surely means UNC will end this season on the outside of the NCAA Tournament. Carolina fans need no reminder that the team began the season ranked No. 1. No team ranked preseason No. 1 has missed the tournament since the field expanded to 64. In that way, the Tar Heels will indeed go down in history.
“The noise, whether it’s from the phone, the family, the friends, the fans, the agents, the workout guys… I think at times it really hurt us,” head coach Hubert Davis said afterward.
Senior center Armando Bacot’s tender ankle, injured on Wednesday night against Boston College, was clearly hurting him against Virginia. Bacot scored just four points and played only 21 minutes on the night, sitting out much of the second half.
“It wasn’t working the entire game,” Davis said. “It was really difficult for him to get position or hold position down low in the post, very difficult for him to make any moves. When he set screens, it appeared and looked difficult for him to get out of the screens.”
Bacot has a decision to make this offseason, as he could potentially use a final year of eligibility to return to the team next season. The only Tar Heels whose careers are done for good are Leaky Black and Pete Nance, who have each completed their fifth years. Caleb Love and R.J. Davis each have two potential years remaining.
But it’s hard to think about that now. Not after what could accurately be described as the most disappointing season by any team in the history of Division 1 college basketball.
“Looking from the outside in [at the NCAA Tournament] this year, it’s tough,” said R.J. Davis, whose 26 points were just two off his season high. “I’m a competitor. I’m going to compete until the horn blows. For me, it’s just frustrating. It’s not the way I wanted the outcome to be today.
“It’s been like that the whole year, just attention to details, little things that we just need to perfect and that we didn’t do in today’s game.”
Such has been the case in Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, Bloomington, Winston-Salem, Portland… the list goes on.
After the charmed summer of 2022, when the Tar Heels were runners-up but felt on top of the world, the coming months will feel very different. Carolina is one of one in NCAA history and will likely stay that way for a long time.
But what about an NIT bid? Perhaps an invitation, but UNC accepting one with a hobbled Bacot and a demoralized group of players seems about as likely as going from No. 1 to missing the tournament.
So anything is possible.
Featured image via Todd Melet. For a full photo gallery of the game, click here.
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