North Carolina rejects NIT invite and ends season
The 2022-23 UNC basketball season is over.
About an hour after the NCAA Tournament selection committee released the field of 68 and North Carolina was the third team out, the program declined an invite to the 32-team NIT. UNC put out a statement on Sunday night announcing the decision.
Had the invite been accepted by North Carolina, it would have been the seventh time the program had played in the NIT.
Here is the statement from the school that has ended the 2022-23 season:
“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,” Davis said in a prepared statement. “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.”
This year has been a big disappointment for North Carolina, starting the year as the preseason No. 1 team. They are the first team to start No. 1 and fail to make the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64.
The focus shifts to the offseason and pending decisions from players on whether they will stay with the program.
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