Even after a historically dominant First Four win over San Diego State, North Carolina's place in the 2025 NCAA tournament remains highly controversial. But at this point, none of that matters; the selection committee has spoken, and they felt the Tar Heels were worthy of a bid.
And frankly, it's hard to argue, given what we saw from North Carolina in their 95-68 shellacking of the Aztecs. The No. 11 Tar Heels lit up one of the country's top defenses. They played like a team that belongs in the Big Dance and look dangerous heading into their first-round matchup with No. 6 Ole Miss.
Yet, following a down 2024-25 campaign, how much stock can we put into the Tar Heels' late-season renaissance? Is it enough to overlook what's been a disappointing year for a typically outstanding program? Men's March Madness history tells us we don't have to look too far back to find a blue blood school that suddenly righted the ship. But is there a shared quality among them that suggests this North Carolina group can do the same?
Does this North Carolina team have anything in common with previous Cinderellas?
Ironically, the most recent Cinderella who fits this bill is ... the Tar Heels. They reached the national championship back in 2022 as the East region's No. 8 seed, narrowly falling short against the Kansas Jayhawks. And North Carolina still has two key pieces from the improbable runner-up finish: fifth-year senior guard RJ Davis and head coach Hubert Davis.
In Year 1 at the helm, Hubert took the Tar Heels to the title game, with RJ being a pivotal contributor to the team's success. The latter also had stars like Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and Brady Manek alongside him; Davis is the last player standing from that team. Nevertheless, the pair of unrelated individuals with the same last name can use their experiences to propel them to victory now.
Like the Tar Heels, UCLA's journey in the tourney in 2021 began with a First Four clash. Ultimately, that served as a launching pad for the Bruins, who took down the East Region's top two seeds en route to the Final Four.
Fascinatingly, No. 11 UCLA was led by a quartet of guards: Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Jules Bernard. This year's Tar Heels are built similarly, with RJ Davis, Ian Jackson, Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau running the show.
Moreover, in 2014, Kentucky and UConn faced off in the national championship as No. 8 and 7 seeds, respectively. The Wildcats frontcourt, headlined by freshman star Julius Randle, made them a force to be reckoned with. Of course, the inverse of the 2025 Tar Heels. Conversely, that Huskies bunch was guided by a seasoned and decorated senior lead guard, Shabazz Napier. Sound familiar?