U-N-C'ya
Posted March 19, 2006, 8:33 PM ET

Now raise your hand if you thought that Herb Sendek and the Wolfpack were going to be the first ACC team eliminated from the Big Dance?

Herb and Co. continued to drive their passionate fan base nuts by beating Cal in the first round before being blown away by powerful Texas in the second round.

But it was Roy Williams' Tar Heels that were the big "Madness" surprise from the ACC. UNC was the first ACC team to be shown the exit door by squandering a great start, and were downed in Dayton by George Mason.

George Mason. That's a joke, right?

The Heels jumped out to a 16-2 lead and it looked like the Heels were D.C.-bound to take on another unknown in their next game...the seventh-seeded Wichita State Shockers.

The bracket was setting up perfectly for the third-seeded Tar Heels...the #2-seed, Tennessee, had already been eliminated... #4-seed Illinois was gone, too. UNC was able to bypass dangerous Michigan State because they were upset by George Mason. It looked the only thing standing in the way of an Elite Eight appearance against #1 UConn was another one of those wacky Missouri Valley Conference teams.

It was too good to be true...and, it turned out, it was too good to be true. UNC was sloppy in the second half, blowing a seven-point halftime lead, and the upstart Patriots disposed of the Heels and sent them back home to Chapel Hill.

Tyler Hansbrough was in foul trouble, and the terrific freshman never attempted a free throw...that is the first time that happened all season...on both counts.

The Tar Heels only attempted four free throws the entire game...that's probably the only time that has happened...ever.

For the Heels the future is bright, but there were some missed opportunities in March. Roy Williams' attitude towards the ACC Tournament is apparent...he's 2-3 during his tenure at UNC. The Heels won a game before being eliminated in the semifinals by BC.

The NCAA Tournament produced similar results....a close win followed by a defeat. But given all the unrest and upsets in the Tar Heels' D.C. regional, the chances to go deep were there for the taking.

UNC fans will be disappointed by their March performance - and they should be, considering the circumstances. But this team produced an abundance of happiness and joy.

It was just a few weeks ago the Heels ruined Duke's party for J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams on the seniors' last home game. Many UNC fans called it the "official" changing of the guard, and passing of the torch from Coach K's boys to Roy's youngsters...but since that game, Duke claimed another ACC title, another #1-seed in the Big Dance...and "K & Company" are still playing. UNC is not.

In the meantime, the UNC crowd now has to watch the endless Coach K television commercials and listen to the NC State fans call for Herb Sendek's job....and they'll wonder how a wonderfully improbable season came to a screeching hault.