Keeping It Heel
Fansided

March Madness: Tar Heels’ history as 8-seed in NCAA Tournament

By Nick Delahanty

RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 19: Teammates Brice Johnson #11 and Marcus Paige #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels try to grab a loose ball from Quadree Smith #10 of the Providence Friars during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PNC Arena on March 19, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 19: Teammates Brice Johnson #11 and Marcus Paige #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels try to grab a loose ball from Quadree Smith #10 of the Providence Friars during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PNC Arena on March 19, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
March Madness
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA – MARCH 19: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels on the sidelines during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Mackey Arena on March 19, 2021 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Roy Williams’ coaching career ends with lopsided loss

Little did we know at the time, but Roy Williams was coaching his final game when the UNC basketball program got ousted in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

It wasn’t the program’s strongest season under their legendary head coach, as a talented roster that was very deep in the frontcourt only put together an 18-11 season, finishing fifth overall in the conference.

The team went through a lot of ups and downs, especially with the season being impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Fittingly, the team’s lone tournament game was a prime example of how things just simply did not go right for this group.

South Region First Round: Lost to No. 9 Wisconsin 85-62

Simply put, the Badgers were the better team, shooting over 50 percent from the field while lighting it up with a three-point field goal percentage over 48 percent. It didn’t matter what the Tar Heels did, they simply had no answer for their opponent in this one.

It is rather disappointing that Roy Williams’ career ended like this, but it also goes to show just what type of season the team endured throughout. Just a few weeks after the season ended, the program went through a complete overhaul, one that no one truly expected.

Overall, the UNC basketball program has had some positives and negatives while being a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, Hubert Davis can channel some of his playing experience in this role to help his team make a deep run in this year’s tournament.

Next. Things aren't looking good with UNC's top recruit. dark

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, views, and recruiting updates, as well as all things March madness.

Home/UNC Basketball