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Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five takeaways from UNC's season-ending loss to Ole Miss in Round of 64 NCAAT matchup
The North Carolina Tar Heels faced a golden opportunity right in front of their eyes, facing the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday afternoon, in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. UNC advanced to face Ole Miss by virtue of dominating San Diego State, 95-68, in its First Four matchup. The Rebels, on the other hand, were one of 14 teams in a loaded SEC to make the NCAA Tournament field. When the final buzzer sounded from Milwaukee, Wis. inside the Fiserv Forum, the Tar Heels walked into their locker room dejected, after a 71-64 defeat in which recurring issues forced their hand once again. North Carolina (23-14, 13-7) found itself playing from behind once again, just as it did too many times in the regular season, trailing by as many as 22 points. UNC scored just 26 points in the first half, something it couldn't afford to do against a balanced Ole Miss (23-11, 10-8 SEC) offense. The Rebels (23-11, 10-8 SEC) started Friday on an 11-2 run, in large part due to five quick points from Dre Davis. Jaylen Murray and Jaemyn Brakefield, the latter of who played at Duke for one season, drained two 3-pointers in the span of one minute. Despite the Tar Heels surging late in the second-half, like they've done all season, their 20-plus-point deficit proved too much to overcome. North Carolina had all the momentum with just over a minute to go, closing its gap to two points on RJ Davis' and-one, but Sean Pedulla took over with five points in the final minute. I feel like the Tar Heels spent most of their close games down by double-digits at one point, then later give fans hope with a late surge. We saw this same exact scenario against Dayton and Michigan State in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Senior Night and in the ACC Tournament Semifinals against Duke, plus most recently Friday against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament. As hard as North Carolina fights, it struggles to close out games after making its big comebacks. 17 seconds after RJ converted his and-one, Pedulla drained a 3-pointer and crushed UNC's hopes. If North Carolina could put together a complete 40 minutes, they would be playing Sunday in the Round of 32. Alas, UNC proved once again, this time Friday against Ole Miss, it's a second-half team. The Tar Heels trailed the Rebels by 18 at halftime. If not for Elliot Cadeau's free throw with four seconds left in the first half, North Carolina would've tied an NCAA Tournament record. North Carolina's 18-point halftime deficit is the 2nd-largest in program history in the NCAA Tar Heels trailed Houston by 19 at halftime of the 1967 3rd-place game. — Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) March 21, 2025 I'm not going to make excuses for Hubert after Fridays' season-ending loss, but frankly, I'm tired of hearing "Fire Hubert." Unless North Carolina has someone waiting in the wings, this would be one of the most head-scratching decisions in recent program history. I will acknowledge, however, that Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard outcoached Hubert by a mile. Beard instructed his players to keep their foot down in the first half, helping them mount a massive lead against a UNC team many expected to win via upset. The Tar Heels mounted a near-comeback-for-the-ages, part of which you can credit Hubert for. Beard won the coaching battle, though. He made adjustments that Hubert failed to, which is why the Rebels are moving on to Sunday. When your team trails by as much as North Carolina did Friday, what's the quickest way to cut back into a deficit? Making 3-pointers. The Tar Heels made 14-of-24 perimeter attempts against SDSU on Tuesday, so I liked their chances to quickly erase their deficit Friday. There's just one issue: UNC couldn't make a 3-pointer to save its life against Ole Miss. North Carolina made just 5-of-24 attempts, with Drake Powell nailing two of those. The Tar Heels couldn't replicate Tuesday's success from deep – and it cost them. Layups are some of the most high-percentage looks a team can take in a basketball game. UNC loves to drive the rim, generating a ton of its offense from doing so. When you can't make layups, though, it's tough to win games. North Carolina missed three straight layups between the 4:12 and 3:16 mark of the second half, a microcosm of a stretch during which Ole Miss went scoreless for nearly six minutes. Ole Miss went 5.5 minutes without scoring. UNC missed 3 straight is March. — Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) March 21, 2025 This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Five takeaways as UNC season ends in NCAA Tournament against Ole Miss
USA Today
22-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Five takeaways from UNC's season-ending loss to Ole Miss in Round of 64 NCAAT matchup
Five takeaways from UNC's season-ending loss to Ole Miss in Round of 64 NCAAT matchup UNC heads into its offseason much earlier than it hoped. The North Carolina Tar Heels faced a golden opportunity right in front of their eyes, facing the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday afternoon, in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. UNC advanced to face Ole Miss by virtue of dominating San Diego State, 95-68, in its First Four matchup. The Rebels, on the other hand, were one of 14 teams in a loaded SEC to make the NCAA Tournament field. When the final buzzer sounded from Milwaukee, Wis. inside the Fiserv Forum, the Tar Heels walked into their locker room dejected, after a 71-64 defeat in which recurring issues forced their hand once again. North Carolina (23-14, 13-7) found itself playing from behind once again, just as it did too many times in the regular season, trailing by as many as 22 points. UNC scored just 26 points in the first half, something it couldn't afford to do against a balanced Ole Miss (23-11, 10-8 SEC) offense. The Rebels (23-11, 10-8 SEC) started Friday on an 11-2 run, in large part due to five quick points from Dre Davis. Jaylen Murray and Jaemyn Brakefield, the latter of who played at Duke for one season, drained two 3-pointers in the span of one minute. Despite the Tar Heels surging late in the second-half, like they've done all season, their 20-plus-point deficit proved too much to overcome. North Carolina had all the momentum with just over a minute to go, closing its gap to two points on RJ Davis' and-one, but Sean Pedulla took over with five points in the final minute. UNC can play in the struggles to finish I feel like the Tar Heels spent most of their close games down by double-digits at one point, then later give fans hope with a late surge. We saw this same exact scenario against Dayton and Michigan State in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Senior Night and in the ACC Tournament Semifinals against Duke, plus most recently Friday against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament. As hard as North Carolina fights, it struggles to close out games after making its big comebacks. 17 seconds after RJ converted his and-one, Pedulla drained a 3-pointer and crushed UNC's hopes. The Tar Heels almost made the wrong kind of history Friday If North Carolina could put together a complete 40 minutes, they would be playing Sunday in the Round of 32. Alas, UNC proved once again, this time Friday against Ole Miss, it's a second-half team. The Tar Heels trailed the Rebels by 18 at halftime. If not for Elliot Cadeau's free throw with four seconds left in the first half, North Carolina would've tied an NCAA Tournament record. Chris Beard outcoached Hubert Davis I'm not going to make excuses for Hubert after Fridays' season-ending loss, but frankly, I'm tired of hearing "Fire Hubert." Unless North Carolina has someone waiting in the wings, this would be one of the most head-scratching decisions in recent program history. I will acknowledge, however, that Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard outcoached Hubert by a mile. Beard instructed his players to keep their foot down in the first half, helping them mount a massive lead against a UNC team many expected to win via upset. The Tar Heels mounted a near-comeback-for-the-ages, part of which you can credit Hubert for. Beard won the coaching battle, though. He made adjustments that Hubert failed to, which is why the Rebels are moving on to Sunday. Ole Miss' defense forced UNC to start jacking 3-pointers When your team trails by as much as North Carolina did Friday, what's the quickest way to cut back into a deficit? Making 3-pointers. The Tar Heels made 14-of-24 perimeter attempts against SDSU on Tuesday, so I liked their chances to quickly erase their deficit Friday. There's just one issue: UNC couldn't make a 3-pointer to save its life against Ole Miss. North Carolina made just 5-of-24 attempts, with Drake Powell nailing two of those. The Tar Heels couldn't replicate Tuesday's success from deep – and it cost them. The Tar Heels' missed layups cost them a comeback chance Layups are some of the most high-percentage looks a team can take in a basketball game. UNC loves to drive the rim, generating a ton of its offense from doing so. When you can't make layups, though, it's tough to win games. North Carolina missed three straight layups between the 4:12 and 3:16 mark of the second half, a microcosm of a stretch during which Ole Miss went scoreless for nearly six minutes.
USA Today
16-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC basketball odds to make NCAA Tournament according to FanDuel
UNC basketball odds to make NCAA Tournament according to FanDuel Can UNC defy the odds (literally) and make the NCAA Tournament? We're in the home stretch on Selection Sunday, with many college basketball fans wondering: will the North Carolina Tar Heels make the NCAA Tournament? UNC is currently on the outside looking in, with Joe Lunardi putting North Carolina amongst his "First Four Out" Saturday night. The Tar Heels were amongst the "Last Four In" entering Friday night's ACC Tournament Semifinals matchup against archrival Duke, but another heartbreaking loss in the final seconds move the Tar Heels' positioning. UNC got some much-needed help from VCU on Sunday afternoon, as the Rams beat George Mason in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which prevents a stolen bid. North Carolina also needs Memphis to beat UAB in the American Athletic Conference Championship, a game which will end just before Selection Sunday starts at 6 p.m. ET. There's also betting odds for the Tar Heels to make the NCAA Tournament, but those aren't extremely favorable. As of 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16, FanDuel gave UNC +195 odds to grab a spot in the Big Dance. North Carolina was at +300 on Saturday night, but as we mentioned before, VCU dished out a major assist by beating George Mason. The Tar Heels and Texas Longhorns have identical odds to make the NCAA Tournament, while Indiana is most likely to advance amongst bubble teams. I simply don't understand why Xavier has better odds than Texas and UNC – the Longhorns have a 7-10 record in Quad 1 games, while UNC and Xavier both have just one Quad 1 victory each. As weak as the ACC is this year, it's stronger than the Big East. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
16-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Metrics show UNC basketball has an advantage over fellow NCAA Tournament bubble teams
Metrics show UNC basketball has an advantage over fellow NCAA Tournament bubble teams UNC should make the NCAA Tournament based on metrics alone. We finally made it to Selection Sunday, which officially kicks off at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports, with the North Carolina Tar Heels eagerly awaiting their NCAA Tournament fate. UNC (22-13, 13-7 ACC) has an impressive win total, but lacks the quality wins bracketologists zero in on. North Carolina sports a lackluster 1-12 record in Quad 1 games, with its lone victory coming against UCLA in December. The Tar Heels enjoyed a late-season spurt, highlighted by a 6-game winning streak and run to the ACC Tournament Semifinals, but they came up short against archrival Duke for a third time this season. Beating the top-seeded Blue Devils (31-3, 19-1 ACC) would quash questions about UNC's ability to beat the country's best teams, but alas, that didn't happen. Despite the field of uncertainty surrounding North Carolina's NCAA Tournament fate, its resume stacks up well against several fellow bubble teams. The Tar Heels are ranked 36 in the NET, 33 in KenPom, 26 in BPI, 36 in T-Rank and SOR, plus 42 in WOB. These are all ahead of fellow bubble teams in Texas, Boise State, Xavier, San Diego State, Indiana and UC Irvine. UNC's NET ranking and BPI, in particular, are metrics the Selection Committee should focus on. North Carolina also has the country's fifth-toughest out-of-conference strength of schedule, thanks to playing National Championship contenders like Auburn, Alabama and Duke. The Tar Heels have every reason to miss the NCAA Tournament, but also have plenty reasons to make it. UNC can play with the country's best teams, it just can't finish the job. Look at what happened when Virginia made the 2024 NCAA Tournament. There were plenty of other teams deserving of a spot over the Cavaliers. Will North Carolina make the Big Dance? Tune your TV and/or favorite streaming device over to CBS Sports at 6 p.m. and find out. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
16-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Lunardi's Saturday night bracketology update has UNC in outside looking in
Joe Lunardi's Saturday night bracketology update has UNC in outside looking in UNC's NCAA Tournament hopes don't look so promising. Entering their Friday, March 14 ACC Tournament Semifinals matchup with archrival Duke, the North Carolina Tar Heels were a "Last Four In" team for the NCAA Tournament. When the final buzzer sounded, UNC suffered a heart-breaking, 74-71 loss that lessened its likelihood of making the Big Dance. North Carolina (22-13, 13-7) got some help from fellow bubble teams, most notably Boise State, which got walloped by Colorado State in the Mountain West Championship. The Tar Heels' glaring issue, though: a 1-12 record in Quad 1 games. As of Saturday, March 15 at 8:28 p.m., Joe Lunardi moved UNC to one of his "First Four Out." Joining North Carolina in this close-but-no-cigar group is Boise State, Texas and Ohio State. As mentioned earlier, Boise State (24-10, 14-6) got walloped earlier Saturday in its conference championship game. Texas (19-15, 6-12 SEC) lost to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament, while Ohio State (17-15, 9-11) lost its Big 10 Tournament opener to Iowa. Beating the Blue Devils was a tall task for the Tar Heels entering Friday night, but certainly a doable one. UNC overcame a double-digit, first-half deficit and led by seven in Chapel Hill on Senior Night, then nearly erased a 20-point deficit Friday. A missed free throw and unfortunate lane violation later, Duke iced the game on a pair of Kon Knueppel free throws. North Carolina had plenty other opportunities to pick up quad one victories. The Tar Heels should've beaten Michigan State in the Maui Invitational. Kansas was within UNC's reach. Yet North Carolina, as talented a team it is, struggled down the stretch so many times. As we prepare to all nervously sweat during Selection Sunday, all the Tar Heels can do is hope the Selection Committee sees them worthy of a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
