Ranking All UNC’s Tournament Runs Under Roy Williams

Mar 21, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second half of a game in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

#10: 2006

2006 was a very disappointing year for the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament, as Carolina lost to George Mason in the Round of 32. Carolina, led by a freshman named Tyler Hanbrough and a few holdovers from the 2005 National Championship team like David Noel and Rayshawn Terry, won by just three points against 14th seeded Murray State in the Round of 64. In the next round, 11th seeded George Mason knocked off the Tar Heels by a final score of 65-60. George Mason would go on to be the tournament’s Cinderella team and would make the Final Four, but still, this year was a disappointing one for the Tar Heels.

The good news was that this year would end up being a big building block for Hansbrough’s class of freshman. That class would go on to make the tournament three more times in 2007, 2008 and 2009, culminating in the National Championship in 2009. This first step in 2006 was a painful one, especially on the heels of a National Championship the year before in 2005, but UNC would learn from this loss and build on it in the years ahead.

Next: 2014