College basketball bubble winners, losers: North Carolina fails to improve dreadful resume

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North Carolina could almost taste it.

For much of the season, the Tar Heels couldn’t get the job done against top-tier opponents. They’d come close, only to fall short and miss out on getting a signature victory.

Needing that mark on their resume, North Carolina hosted heated rival and national championship contender Duke in the regular-season finale. A golden opportunity to prove it belongs in the NCAA Tournament.

Early in the second half, it looked like North Carolina would finally get it done. It had limited Cooper Flagg’s impact on the game and with a seven-point lead, the Dean Dome crowd was in a frenzy. A win − and a spot in March Madness − was in sight.

But as has been the case so many times this season, it all fell apart. The sleeping giant in the Blue Devils woke up and decided to dash dreams. Duke closed the final 13 minutes on a 29-10 run and sucked any life out of those in Carolina Blue en route to an 82-69 victory.

Don’t let the 20-12 record fool you. Thirteen wins came against Quad 3 and 4 opponents, and only one − against UCLA in December − was against a likely March Madness squad. In Quad 1 games, North Carolina entered the night a horrid 1-10. Even with the name on the front of the jersey, North Carolina needed to prove it could beat a quality opponent after failing to do so time and time again.

One of the first four teams out in the latest version of USA TODAY Sports’ Bracketology, a win could’ve catapulted North Carolina into the projected field and fix what’s been a frustrating campaign for Hubert Davis. Instead, the chance was wasted yet again. There’s nothing impressive about its 20-win season.

Barring a perfect run through the ACC tournament, it will be two missed NCAA Tournaments in three seasons for North Carolina, far from the standard expectations in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels fell short when they couldn’t afford it. They lead the bubble winners and losers on the final weekend of the regular season.

North Carolina’s RJ Davis attempts a jump shot…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/college-basketball-bubble-winners-losers-045849036.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-09 04:58:00

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