UNC gets max-level salty with NIT decision after missing NCAA Tournament

UNC’s 2022-23 season from hell is officially over after the Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament and declined a bid to the NIT.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were one half of basketball and a 16-point lead away from winning the national championship a year ago.

What a difference 12 months make.

Dubbed the No. 1 team in the preseason, UNC’s name was not heard as the Selection Committee revealed the 68-team field for the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

With no bid to March Madness in hand, whether snubbed or not, the Tar Heels have bowed out of the postseason completely, turning down an invitation to the NIT.

UNC turned down a bid to the NIT after missing NCAA Tournament

Head coach Hubert Davis released this statement about spurning the NIT:

"“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.”"

Further reports suggested it was the decision of players.

A team that didn’t seem to care for most of the campaign couldn’t be bothered to risk being embarrassed further in the lesser tournament. They couldn’t be bothered to win the games they needed to avoid being in this predicament in the first place. So it’s not exactly a surprise.

We shouldn’t expect a team that spent the whole season proving they didn’t have the competitive juices to hang with NCAA Tournament teams to show the competitive spirit necessary to take on the NIT.

Many teams have avoided the NIT in the past and others will do so in the future. Just add UNC to the list.