The 2024-2025 college basketball season is officially over for North Carolina.
In a game that literally was a replica of plenty of others we've watched this season, the UNC basketball program dug itself into a deep hole, found a way to dig out of it but fell just short, as Ole Miss advances to the Round of 32 on Sunday.
The first half felt like we were re-watching the latest Duke game, as North Carolina had absolutely no life. Trailing from essentially the opening tip, the Tar Heels shot the ball horribly while Ole Miss had their way on just about everything possible, knocking down wide-open looks to guide them to a 18-point lead at the break.
As we've seen so often, the Tar Heels would find a way to come back, using a late second-half charge to cut the Rebels lead to as little as two.
A three-pointer from Elliot Cadeau with 6:53 remaining cut the lead to 10, while ensuing baskets from Drake Powell and RJ Davis forced Chris Beard to call a timeout. Jalen Washington would follow with a vicious slam dunk, making it a two possession game.
With 1:09 remaining, Davis converted on an and-one opportunity, as the Tar Heels found themselves down just two with essentially one minute to go. However, a dagger three-pointer from Sean Pedulla once again extended the lead and put the final nail in the UNC basketball program's season.
In his final game as a Tar Heel, Davis struggled from the floor, connecting on just six of 17 shot attempts. Davis and Ven-Allen Lubin were the only Tar Heels in double-figures, as the team shot 38.1% from the floor.
You're not going to win many games when you miss five free-throw attempts and a staggering 13, yes, 13, layups. That is certainly not a recipe for success, as the little things certainly come back to haunt you.
Simply put, this group proved to be who they really are: a team that showed flashes of potential but was widely inconsistent, a trait that hurt them on plenty of occasions.
Now, it's time to head to the offseason, as there are plenty of question marks surrounding the program's future. Expect next year's team to have a whole new look as the Tar Heels aim to get back to being among the elite teams in the country once again.