30-4

[BFieldHusky]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.

 

[Inyatkin]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.

02 03 06 and 09?

That is unreal. We’ve missed the tournament altogether more often than other programs at our level, but Hurley has solved that issue.

For a while we were a second-weekend team very often. Six times in the 90s. And now somehow not once in 20 years.

 

[upstater]

For a while we were a second-weekend team very often. Six times in the 90s. And now somehow not once in 20 years.

Likely because we 4x ran into the eventual national champ in that period.

BTW, UNC has missed the tourney 5x in the last 25 years. We have missed it 8x BUT if you disregard the banned year where the team clearly would have made it in, it's really 7x. And then UConn was left out after OK seasons in a stacked BE, like in 2001 when it went 19-11, 8-8 in the BE, wins in the OOC over Louisville, Houston, #5 Arizona & Pitt, #9 BC & #13 ND in the BE. A 19-11 UNC team never gets passed over. 10, 11, 12 and even 14 loss UNC teams make it into the tourney. UNC has to lose 16 or 17 games not to get an invite.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.

A couple of follow up thoughts. Pretty impressive we have now made 8 Final Fours in the last 27 years, when you remember we only made the tournament 3 times from 2015-2022, with 1 tournament win in the 1st round in 2016.

Included in our 30-4 stretch is the following record against:

Duke 3-0
San Diego St 3-0
Kentucky 2-0
Michigan St 2-1
Alabama 2-0

We also have wins against Florida, Purdue, UCLA to name a few.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.

This is why we are one of the very few fan bases who talk about April

 

[NewBlood]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.

and 3 of those losses were essentially road games (Texas, George Mason, MSU)

 

[businesslawyer]

and 3 of those losses were essentially road games (Texas, George Mason, MSU)

So the only other loss then was Maryland at the Carrier Dome. That was truly a split, neutral crowd where we lost a 50/50 game to the eventual national champions. Where we played frankly as well as we could and it just wasn’t enough. Gives an alternative meaning to Hurley’s words “you better get us now” — you better get us early in the tournament because once we get rollling ….

 

[Travelman6]

So the only other loss then was Maryland at the Carrier Dome. That was truly a split, neutral crowd where we lost a 50/50 game to the eventual national champions. Where we played frankly as well as we could and it just wasn’t enough. Gives an alternative meaning to Hurley’s words “you better get us now” — you better get us early in the tournament because once we get rollling ….

Butler had 26 second half points (32 total) and carried UConn on his back. Of course freaking Blake had to hit his one and only 3 of the game to make it 86-80 and that was pretty much game. Dixon and Baxter torched UConn that game but they still played very well.

 

[businesslawyer]

Was in the Carrier Dome that night. I still have never in my 67 years seen an individual player play a half of basketball better than that. One of the few times it wasn't hard to live with a huge loss (even on the five hour trip back) because I felt we had given it our absolute best shot.

 

[DRBackup]

I assume that includes 1999 ? I'd say that is more accurately described as "Since 1998"

 

[Travelman6]

That game was wild because I believe it was a one possession game the entire time from under 15 minutes until Blake hit that 3 with about 30 seconds.

They also left it all out on the floor vs Texas the next year, pretty much @ Texas. Down 62-48 they took the lead late and lost by 4. Think UConn led something like 75-72 before losing 82-78.

 

[Waquoit]

02 03 06 and 09?

That is unreal. We’ve missed the tournament altogether more often than other programs at our level, but Hurley has solved that issue.

I'm thinking it was AD Dave getting us out of the AAC as well.

 

[Gurleyman]

Likely because we 4x ran into the eventual national champ in that period.

BTW, UNC has missed the tourney 5x in the last 25 years. We have missed it 8x BUT if you disregard the banned year where the team clearly would have made it in, it's really 7x. And then UConn was left out after OK seasons in a stacked BE, like in 2001 when it went 19-11, 8-8 in the BE, wins in the OOC over Louisville, Houston, #5 Arizona & Pitt, #9 BC & #13 ND in the BE. A 19-11 UNC team never gets passed over. 10, 11, 12 and even 14 loss UNC teams make it into the tourney. UNC has to lose 16 or 17 games not to get an invite.

We had the one sustained downturn from 2017-19 that led to a course correction. The redemption in 2023 felt so sweet.

Other than that, every missed tournament was a one-off that doesn’t bother me at all in hindsight. Not in the tiniest little bit. We didn’t make it back in 2015 largely because Daniels left sooner than expected after his tourney run and we couldn’t replace him on short notice (pre-portal). I’ll take that trade every time.

2013 was a ban.

2010 sucked in real time. Won’t sugar coat that - but it obviously fueled Kemba and we gave him the keys the next year. Wouldn’t want to alter that timeline.

2007 our entire roster was freshmen and sophomores (and not the one and done or two and done kind), after our whole starting five left. AJ Price was also coming off a two year lay off for brain surgery and didn’t look like himself. That group was in the Final Four two years later.

2001 was a bit disappointing - but we had a young core with a freshman Taliek and Caron, brought in Emeka and Ben the next year, were back to being top 10 again, and cut down the nets in 2004. Those lumps paid off.

1997 was an all freshman frontcourt that would win a national title.

1993 was similarly a young core taking their lumps and getting better.

In the portal area, this type of taking short term lumps for long term gain is outdated. You can just turn your roster over quickly whenever you want now. But it’s what led to all of our championships.

 

[storrsroars]

Since our first championship run in '99 we are 30-4 from the Regionals through the Championship Game. 30-4. Unreal.