UNC worst March Madness losses: Where collapse vs. VCU ranks among Tar Heels' worst NCAA Tournament defeats
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North Carolina entered the back half of the season with hopes of a Final Four run after knocking off rival Duke, but those hopes went up in smoke with a first-round loss to VCU.
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Those hopes were arguably erased even earlier. A season-ending injury to star freshman Caleb Wilson limited the Tar Heels' ceiling, but Hubert Davis hoped his team was talented enough to at least win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, North Carolina is one-and-done after blowing a 19-point lead to the Rams.
Losing to a double-digit seed is rare in Tar Heels history, and such a collapse is even rarer.
Here's a look at where Thursday's loss to VCU ranks among the worst March Madness losses in North Carolina history.
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UNC worst March Madness losses
1. Weber State, 1999 first round
North Carolina doesn't have quite as many ugly first round losses as other blue bloods, but the worst came in 1999 when the Tar Heels' season was ended by No. 14 Weber State.
Despite entering as a 13.5-point favorite, North Carolina was never able to pull away from the Big Sky champions and fell behind down the stretch, only for a comeback effort to come up short. Harold Arceneaux exploded for 36 points for Weber State, giving the program an all-time moment to celebrate.
2. George Mason, 2006 second round
George Mason's Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2006 was jump-started by an upset win over No. 3 North Carolina in the second round. The Tar Heels were only favored by a few points, but they had hopes of a deep run before shooting a dismal 36 percent from the field against the Patriots.
3. Boston College, 1994 second round
Well before they became conference mates, North Carolina suffered a crushing defeat against Boston College as a No. 1 seed in 1994. The reigning national champion Tar Heels fell behind by eight at halftime against the ninth-seeded Eagles, and a team that included Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse couldn't catch up.
MORE:What to know about VCU hero Terrence Hill Jr.
4. Villanova, 1985 Elite Eight
A No. 2 seed in 1985, North Carolina saw its championship hopes ended by Villanova in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels scored only 44 points but actually led at halftime. The Wildcats caught fire in the second half and won comfortably to continue what became an all-time improbable championship run.
5. Kansas, 2022 national championship game
Losing to No. 1 Kansas as a No. 8 seed isn't a bad loss in itself, but North Carolina led by 15 points at halftime in the national championship game and finished the night without the trophy in hand. The Jayhawks stole all of the momentum back early in the second half, denying the Tar Heels what would have been a historic run to a title.
6. VCU, 2026 first round
There similarly isn't too much shame in losing as a slight favorite against a No. 11 seed, but the nature of the loss to VCU makes it one of North Carolina's worst. The Tar Heels were in control in the second half, leading by 19, but they left the door wide open for VCU and missed out on a chance to win at the end of regulation due to a turnover. After a sluggish overtime in which they scored just three points, the Heels bowed out of the NCAA Tournament early.
7. Auburn, 2019 Sweet 16
North Carolina seemingly had a real path to the Final Four and beyond as a No. 1 seed in 2019, but Auburn came in and wrecked those hopes with an explosive 56-point second half in the Sweet 16. The Tigers would roll all the way to the Final Four, while a team with Coby White, Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson fell short of expectations.
8. Texas A&M, 2018 second round
Much like 1994, North Carolina's title defense ended in the second round in 2018. While the pressure was largely off after finally climbing back to the top in 2017, the Tar Heels were clear favorites over Texas A&M in the second round but saw the Aggies put up a barrage of points in the first half and simply run away with the win.