Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ history of being an 8 seed

By Zack Pearson

24 Mar 2000: Ed Cota #5 and Joseph Forte #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on from the court during the NCAA South Regional Game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The Tar Heels defeated the Volunteeres 74-69. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport
24 Mar 2000: Ed Cota #5 and Joseph Forte #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on from the court during the NCAA South Regional Game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The Tar Heels defeated the Volunteeres 74-69. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport /
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24 Mar 2000: Ed Cota #5 and Joseph Forte #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on from the court during the NCAA South Regional Game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The Tar Heels defeated the Volunteeres 74-69. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport
24 Mar 2000: Ed Cota #5 and Joseph Forte #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on from the court during the NCAA South Regional Game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. The Tar Heels defeated the Volunteeres 74-69. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport /

2000 (Reached Final Four)

The 1999-00 regular season was a down year for the Tar Heels under Bill Guthridge who was in his third season as head coach. UNC finished 18-13 overall and  9-7 in the conference. The Tar Heels barely snuck into the tournament earning a No. 8 seed in a bracket with No 1 Stanford.

This was considered a down year in terms of the regular season for this Tar Heels’ team led by senior Ed Cota, junior Brendan Haywood and the freshman duo of Julius Peppers and Joseph Forte.

Despite sneaking into the tournament, they made the most of it and they peaked at the right time.

UNC opened the tournament by beating No. 9 Missouri 84-70 which set up a date with No. 1 Stanford. The Tar Heels then stunned the Cardinal 60-53 on Sunday afternoon, sending them to the Sweet 16 again as a No. 8 seed. But this time they took it further.

UNC would go on to beat No. 4 Tennessee 74-69 and then No. 7 Tulsa in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four. The Tar Heels came together as a team at the right time, playing their best basketball of the season.

Although the Tar Heels’ season ended in the Final Four to Florida, dropping the game to the No. 5 Gators 71-59. Florida would go on to lose to a really good Michigan State team which is the last Big Ten Team to win it all.

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