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North Carolina could be 1st preseason No. 1 to miss NCAA Tournament in 64-team era

Author psheppard

North Carolina could be 1st preseason No. 1 to miss NCAA Tournament in 64-team era.  The Tar Heels could be on the outside looking in as we head towards Selection Sunday.

#13 Virginia beat North Carolina on Thursday night 68-59 in an ACC quarterfinal matchup.  The loss more than likely will put the Tar Heels in the NIT if they chose to go and not the NCAA tournament.

History Could Repeat Itself

The last time the AP number 1 team missed the NCAA Tournament was back in 1975 when NC State was ranked 7th in the final AP poll but missed the NCAA Tournament after losing in the ACC Championship Game.

More recently, only five AP top-5 teams have missed the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, and none since Kentucky in 2012-13 (No. 3).

Highest-Ranked Teams in Preseason AP Poll – Missed NCAA Tournament Since 1985
Preseason Rank
1986-87 Louisville 2
2012-13 Kentucky 3
1984-85 Indiana 4
2006-07 LSU 5
2003-04 Missouri 5

The last time North Carolina was ranked in the preseason and missed the NCAA Tournament was in 2009-10 (preseason rank: No. 6).

North Carolina will likely become the first team in the AP poll era to be unranked in the final AP poll in four straight seasons after being ranked in the preseason.

What Happened to North Carolina This Year?

A lack of big wins, and offensive and defensive efficiency rankings outside the top 40 nationally have derailed UNC’s season.

1-9 in Quad 1 games (only win: Feb. 25 vs Virginia)
Adjusted efficiency ranks – Offense: 51st, Defense: 41st, Overall: 45th
31.2% on 3-pt FG (317th in D-I)
14.9% opponent turnover rate (346th in D-I)

Why Was This Demise Surprising?

6 of 7 players to play in 2022 National Championship Game returned to school (only exception: Brady Manek)
24th in D-I in experience
15th in D-I in minutes continuity

If Hubert Davis and North Carolina miss the tournament, it will mean Kansas’ Bill Self is the only Final Four coach from last season to return this year after Mike Krzyzewski and Jay Wright retired.

We will discuss this and lots more later today on Shemon and Sheppard 2-6pm.

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The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida: Ranked

The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida. Fort Myers and Naples have some of the nicest golf courses in the country – the only problem is, to play these, you either need a rich friend who belongs at one of the courses, or you need to part ways with a couple hundred thousand to become a member yourself.

Don’t have either? You’re still in luck!   Southwest Florida has a litany of fun and challenging public courses open year-round to the average bloke. They may not offer the luxury amenities such as iced towels, golf carts outfitted with GPS and speakers, and Pro-V1 range balls, but the beers are just as cold and often times the cart girls are better looking!

I put these courses through a screening process and am basing this on certain criteria – first and foremost, they need to be open year-round for public play. After that, I judged them on: Layout (fun vs challenging), Condition and Amenities, Rates, Cart Girls (when applicable), and of course, the 19th hole. So, text your buddies, wash your balls, and tee up at these local favorites year round.  

These are The 9 Best Public Golf Courses in Southwest Florida

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