GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — North Carolina went from a 19-point lead to struggling to shoot the ball and watched its advantage erode by a Virginia Commonwealth University team that refused to quit.
Just like that, the Tar Heels clinched March Madness once and for all, their latest early exit under Hubert Davis.
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The Rams defeated the Tar Heels 82-78 in overtime in Thursday’s South Region first-round game, ending a season that showed promise in February but was cut short by major injuries. It’s another postseason setback for a blue-blood team that has won six national championships but has been unable to advance to the Sweet 32 recently.
Davis, who is finishing his fifth season as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams, isn’t ready to talk about whether something is missing to keep his program among the nation’s elite.
“Yes, it’s a question that needs to be thought through and I’m sorry, I’m just not here right now,” Davis said. “It’s really a shame that we can’t continue to play and move forward because I love and enjoy this team. I love and love all of them, but I really enjoy coaching this team.
“I really hope this team and these kids can go through more. But other than that, I’m just thinking about these guys and the other guys in the locker room.”
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Davis’s Up and Down Ride
Davis is the only coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win 20 or more games in each of his first five seasons. However, the consistent postseason success that has long been a hallmark of the UNC program has eluded Davis since he earned a memorable 2022 NCAA title shot in his first season, including a Final Four victory over rival Duke that ended the career of rival Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.
In 2023, the Tar Heels became the first team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 but miss the NCAA tournament. UNC came back a year later, winning the ACC regular season title and being a No. 1 seed before falling to the Sweet 16.
Last year, the Tar Heels finished in the top four and eliminated San Diego State before losing to Mississippi State in the first round.
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This time around, they’re more prepared, with top prospect and high-end NBA prospect Caleb Wilson proving to be an instant star. The Tar Heels defeated Kansas State and Kentucky, won a come-from-behind victory at Virginia, then handed Duke one of its two losses all year on Seth Trimble’s last-second 3-pointer.
But Wilson broke his left hand a few days later in a game at Miami. Then, as he was about to return in early March, Wilson — who would go on to be an AP second-team All-American — broke his right thumb during a non-contact drill and was lost for the season.
The Tar Heels didn’t win again.
They lost to Duke by 18 points and then pulled off a wild comeback against Clemson in the ACC Tournament, but failed miserably against Virginia Commonwealth on Trimble’s layup for a 56-37 lead with 14:58 left.
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“I felt like we were in a really good spot, and then obviously Caleb’s injury, I think that affected our season,” big man Henry Vissar said. “But I don’t want to put it on this one… I thought he did a great job putting us in the right position and giving us confidence and belief in everything.”
UNC shaken by short spin
The Tar Heels struggled against VCU, with Davis shortening the rotation and keeping four players on the court for the entire second half while one player played 15 minutes. By the end, UNC couldn’t make a field goal or free throw while committing costly turnovers.
The Tar Heels missed their final nine shots, including all six in overtime. They made 12 of 20 free throws at the free throw line, including three missed free throws in overtime, continuing their season-long troubles.
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Davis said he did not sense fatigue among his players, although Trimble said he believed it was a factor in previous interviews. Asked why he spent most of the half-time with a six-man rotation, Davis responded: “Because that was my decision.”
Not long ago, Trimble was sitting in a corner of the locker room, surrounded by reporters, holding back tears. A rarity in today’s transfer portal era, Trimble is coming off a four-year run with Davis at UNC, which included a brief stint in the portal after his sophomore year before electing to return.
He supports his coach, who last year signed a two-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season.
“Everyone has their flaws,” Trimble said. “Coach Davis, he’s not a perfect coach. But he’s a coach that makes me better, he’s a coach that makes players better. He’s proven that he can win here.
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“I know he’s going to get hate. I know he’s gotten a lot of hate over the last four years. But I’m going to continue to fight alongside him.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
