North Carolina blows a huge leads and makes another early March Madness exit under Hubert Davis

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — North Carolina went from rolling to a 19-point lead to struggling to make a shot, watching that margin whittled away by a VCU team that refused to quit.

Just like that, the Tar Heels were one-and-done in March Madness, their latest early exit under Hubert Davis.

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The Rams beat the Tar Heels 82-78 in overtime in Thursday’s first round of the South Region, capping a season that showed high promise well into February only to be derailed by a major injury. It’s another postseason frustration for a blueblood program that has won six national titles but is defined these days by its inability to reach the round of 32.

Davis, closing his fifth season as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams, wasn’t ready to talk about whether something is missing that would keep his program among the country’s elite.

“Yeah, that’s a big-thinking question, and I apologize, I’m just not there right now,” Davis said. “Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward because I have loved and enjoyed this team. I enjoy and love all of them, but I’ve just really enjoyed coaching this team.

“I really wanted this group and these kids to experience more. But other than that, it’s I’m just thinking about these guys and the rest of the guys that are in the locker room.”

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Davis’ 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. Yet sustained postseason success, long a hallmark of the UNC program, has eluded Davis since an unforgettable ride to the 2022 NCAA title game in his debut season, which included a Final Four win over rival Duke that ended the career of rival Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In 2023, the Tar Heels became the first team ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 to miss the NCAA Tournament. UNC bounced back to win the ACC regular-season title a year later and earn a No. 1 seed, only to fall in the Sweet…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/north-carolina-blows-huge-leads-042318962.html

Author : AARON BEARD

Publish date : 2026-03-20 04:23:00

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