Tonight, the men’s NCAA Tournament returns, as Sweet 16 will begin, and we’ll be down to the Final Four by the time the weekend is over. Obviously, we here at Tar Heel Blog have been a little preoccupied by UNC’s season ending, and now the coaching search that has begun partly because of that.
However for today’s question of the day, I thought we’d take a little break from thinking non-stop about who will be on the sidelines for the Heels next season. While they’re not there this year, the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament has been well trod territory for North Carolina. With as many national titles and Final Four appearances as the Heels have, you need to win the games to get there. With that in mind, I thought I’d ask what your favorite Sweet 16 and/or Elite Eight memories are, UNC or otherwise?
I’m guessing one that stands out to a lot of you is also my personal answer. In 2017, UNC met Kentucky in the Elite Eight and played quite the exciting game, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. With the Tar Heels clinging to a lead in the final seconds, UK’s Malik Monk hit a circus three-pointer to tie the game up.
Of course, you know what happens next. Without taking a timeout, UNC got the ball into Theo Pinson, who took the ball down the other end of the court, created some space, and found an open Luke Maye.
While it technically didn’t end up a buzzer beater, Maye’s shot was the decisive one, as UNC added another dramatic victory to what would be a whole run full of them. A little over a week later, they defeated Gonzaga to add the latest national championship banner to the Smith Center rafters.
If we expand to non-UNC moments, the one that comes to mind is still somewhat Triangle related.
Back in 2002, Duke were the reigning national champions and looked to be headed towards a possible repeat. After putting up a 29-3 record, they handled business in the first weekend to set up a Sweet 16 clash against Indiana. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers, while they got a #5 seed that year, were in a bit of an odd place, having fired Bob Knight before the previous season. However on that day, IU rose to the occasion and produced one of the most memorable tournament games in recent memory.
After Jay Williams — who it brings me some pleasure to revel in the failure of, given how annoying he’s been of late — missed a game-tying free throw with under five seconds left, AJ Moye blocked Carlos Boozer’s final attempt. Indiana finished off the upset, sending the Blue Devils home dramatically.
I could certainly dig up plenty more memories, but now it’s your turn. What are your favorite games and moments from the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend?