Preseason No. 1 North Carolina likely to miss NCAA Tournament after loss to Virginia

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The NCAA Tournament hopes for the North Carolina Tar Heels took a major hit Thursday night, losing to No. 13 Virginia in the ACC Tournament, 68-59. 

UNC entered the game on the bubble, one of the "Next Four Out" in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology, and needed a deep run in the ACC Tournament to solidify its case for an NCAA berth. 

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis gives instructions to his team during the ACC Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers on March 9, 2023 at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The loss to Virginia dropped the Tar Heels to 20-13 in a season in which four starters returned from the 2021-22 team that reached the championship game. 

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"It’s not a great feeling," North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said, according to ESPN. "Not the expectations that we had coming into the year. It was definitely frustrating and disappointing, but one thing I can say about this group is we fight to the end."

R.J. Davis, #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels, waits to be introduced before a game against the Virginia Cavaliers in the quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 9, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

"I'm sad and disappointed for [the players] that we're in this position. Just very sad for them."

The Tar Heels entered the year No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason rankings but lost four straight games after starting the year 5-0. 

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