The North Carolina basketball program ended up on the wrong side of history on Sunday after the team missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
UNC finished the season with a 20-13 record, but they struggled mightily against ranked teams. The Tar Heels lost twice to Duke and just won one in three game against Virginia. It certainly didn't help that they also bowed down to teams like Miami, Alabama and Indiana.
Making the result more disappointing is the fact that North Carolina actually opened the preseason as the no. 1 team in the rankings. With that said, they also became the first preseason AP no. 1 team to not make it to tournament play since it has expanded to 64 squads, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The last time the Tar Heels didn't play in March Madness is back in 2009-10. However, it is the first time since 1974 that the team did not make the NCAA Tournament despite having a winning record in the ACC, according to Brendan Marks of The Athletic.
North Carolina basketball is now facing an uncertain future. Leaky Black and Pete Nance are done, while Armando Bacot has a decision to make on whether or not he'll use his COVID year eligibility. The likes of Caleb Love and RJ Davis will also need to make a decision with regards to their future.
North Carolina turned down an invitation to the NIT following the NCAA Tournament disappointment, and so the players and the whole team will have plenty of time to ponder what's next for the program.