North Carolina officially became the first preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll to not make the NCAA Tournament on Sunday when the full field was announced. A short time later, the Tar Heels made their own announcement, saying they chose not to extended their season by playing in the National Invitational Tournament.
In a statement released by the school on Sunday, coach Hubert Davis said:
“All season our focus and goal have been on being the best team we can possibly become and reaching our full potential to give us another opportunity to compete, play for and win an NCAA championship. Although we no longer have that opportunity and this season wasn’t what we had hoped for, I want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and love for Carolina Basketball. Many factors go into postseason play and we believe now is the time to focus on moving ahead, preparing for next season and the opportunity to again compete for ACC and NCAA championships. I also want to thank our great fans for their incredible support. Our commitment to you is what drives us to improve our program in every way.”
