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History: Stay Optimistic About UNC Basketball Season

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 6:21 AM ET

In 1982, UNC basketball won its second NCAA championship. Nearby rival NC State responded with its second the following year.

A decade later, after archrival Tobacco Road neighbor Duke cut down April nets in back-to-back seasons to match the counts of UNC and NC State, Dean Smith and his bunch in Chapel Hill delivered the program's third in 1993.

Fast forward 17 years and another national title apiece for the Blue Devils (2001) and Tar Heels (2005). One year after UNC tallied its fifth, Duke worked toward catching up again by notching its fourth in 2010.

Five years later, Duke tied UNC by winning it all again. Two years after that in 2017, the Tar Heels answered with their sixth, one year after coming within seconds of pulling that off, and have held the outright Tobacco Road lead ever since.

UNC's 2022 Final Four victory over the Blue Devils to end Mike Krzyzewski's career was dual Tobacco Road history in itself. Plus, that debut Hubert Davis campaign proved his ability to rally reeling Tar Heels in February to the tune of a March run to the national championship game in early April.

So, consider the number of times over the past five decades that UNC, Duke, and NC State have made similar March Madness history a year (or two) after one of the others achieved its feat. Now, remember what the Wolfpack did last go-round after sitting 16-10 overall and 8-7 in conference play at this same juncture.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels (15-11, 8-6 ACC) are fresh off Saturday's encouraging 88-82 win at Syracuse, highlighted by the eye-popping production surge from Jae'Lyn Withers. And they enjoy the type of big-time bucket-getters, notably Ian Jackson, RJ Davis, and Seth Trimble, who tend to emerge as NCAA Tournament difference-makers.

Top 5 Syracuse pic.twitter.com/puzJ5C4ekl
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 16, 2025

Moreover, before capping off its season at home against the No. 3-ranked Blue Devils, UNC basketball faces five opponents, including NC State in Chapel Hill at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday (ESPN), with a combined 55-70 overall record and losing records in ACC action.

Should the Heels manage to reach the Big Dance either by at-large bid or automatic invite, perhaps they could deliver their own rendition of the 2024 DJ Burns and DJ Horne magic that powered the Wolfpack to its unthinkable postseason, which included NC State's first ACC Tournament crown in 37 years and first Final Four appearance since 1983.

Of course, NC State's Cinderella journey featured two wins over Duke.

Reality says any of the above remains highly improbable for the Tar Heels. However, Tobacco Road history says it's quite unwise to rule it out just yet.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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