North Carolina Turns Down NIT After Missing NCAA Tournament

North Carolina’s men’s college basketball season is officially over after the Tar Heels were excluded from the 2023 NCAA tournament. Head coach Hubert Davis released a statement indicating UNC will not be participating in the National Invitation Tournament. 

Instead, the program will be focusing on preparing for the 2023-24 season. 

“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,” said Davis in his statement on Sunday. 

North Carolina missed the Big Dance for the first time since 2010, having been among the "first four out" from the NCAA’s selection committee.

The Tar Heels entered the season as the nation’s preseason No. 1 but ultimately failed to live up to expectations, finishing the year with a 20-13 record and going 11-9 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. 

As Davis stated, the program’s ultimate goal is to win NCAA championships and ACC championships. No longer in the running for either one, it’ll be back to the drawing board for UNC as they look to get back to the Big Dance in 2023-24.