North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Blue blood program in position to miss March Madness for second time in three seasons

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Jan 29, 2025 1:53 PM ET

For most teams in the ACC, making the NCAA Tournament twice in four years would be considered a successful four-year stretch.

However, that is not the standard in Chapel Hill, and that is the fate that the North Carolina Tar Heels are headed toward.

After Tuesday's blown lead and loss to Pittsburgh, the Tar Heels' record fell to 13-9 (6-4 ACC) and they will need to be nearly perfect for the remainder of the season to reach the NCAA Tournament.

PITT HANDS UNC THEIR NINTH LOSS OF THE SEASON pic.twitter.com/xOhxmva3lh
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) January 29, 2025

Before Tuesday's game, both Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Andy Katz (CBS Sports) had North Carolina as one of the final four teams in the field.

With the loss to Pitt, the Tar Heels certainly fell out of the field for both reporters and will now more than likely need to win the ACC Tournament and get the automatic berth into the NCAA tourney.

NEW BRACKET PREDICTION @TheAndyKatz gives his latest bracket prediction, as we inch closer towards February pic.twitter.com/oK51LBMCTI
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 28, 2025

North Carolina has missed the tournament just four times since 1975, and missing the tournament in 2025 would be the second time in three seasons, something that hasn't happened since it missed four out of five tournaments from 1969-70 to 1973-74.

In each of the last four seasons when it missed the tournament, North Carolina began the season ranked inside the top 10 in the AP poll. The last three times the Tar Heels have made the tournament, they were respectively ranked No. 19, No. 19 and No. 16 to begin the season.

I don’t think UNC is a tournament team right now. 1-3 in its last four games with that lone win coming in a dogfight against BC.

5-4 since the calendar flipped to January, and three of those wins were by one possession or in OT.

Heels simply aren’t good right now.
— Brian Rauf (@brauf33) January 29, 2025

With remaining games against No. 2 Duke (twice) and Clemson (third in ACC), it is more and more likely that we will not be seeing North Carolina compete for a national championship in 2025.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

More must-reads: