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What we learned from UNC's historic collapse in first round loss to VCU
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- What we learned from UNC's historic collapse in first round loss to VCU
North Carolina lost an 82-78 overtime thriller to VCU on Thursday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
The Tar Heels led for more than three-quarters of the game and were up by 19 with just over 14 minutes left, but the Rams stormed back to win in overtime. I t's now the largest comeback in a first-round game in NCAA Tournament history and the second-largest rally overall, trailing only No. 7 seed Nevada's 22-point comeback against No. 2 seed Cincinnati in 2018.
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VCU guard Terrance Hill scored 34 points off the bench. The Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year also hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the overtime period. Despite posting another double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Veesaar missed both of his free-throw attempts with four seconds left that would have tied the game.
Here are the takeaways for the final time this hoops season.
What the heck happened?
North Carolina led 70-56 with just over seven minutes remaining and had clear control of the game. The Tar Heels were killing VCU in transition, were aggressive getting to the rim and had an 18-1 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first 29 minutes.
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Then disaster struck.
VCU went on a 12-0 run over the next four minutes and eventually tied the game at 75-75 on a driving layup from Hill with 15 seconds left in regulation, as he blew past Derek Dixon with ease for the bucket. That gave the Rams all the momentum going into overtime before they eventually pulled out the win.
You have to give VCU credit. Phil Martelli Jr. drew up a great game plan and made the right adjustments in the second half. He also made sure he had fresh bodies throughout the half thanks to the Rams' depth. Hill had a monster game, and his teammates made the right plays at the right time.
However, it falls on UNC as well. In the final 7:45 of regulation, the Tar Heels went 0-for-9 from the field and 4-for-9 at the free-throw line. Making matters worse, they turned the ball over seven times in the second half and overtime and did not record a single assist in the final 16 minutes of game time.
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When breaking down whether UNC would survive past the first weekend , the two biggest concerns were free-throw shooting and perimeter defense. The Tar Heels validated those worries as they went just 12-for-20 (60%) at the line and allowed VCU to shoot 11-for-26 (42%) from 3-point range. Those two issues showed up in two of the most critical plays of the game: Hill's go-ahead 3 and Veesaar going 0-for-2 from the stripe with a chance to tie.
UNC gets bounced from the first round....again
North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) rebounds the ball Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. VCU Rams won 82-78 in OT.
For the second season in a row, UNC has been bounced in the first round. It's also the third time in the last four NCAA Tournament appearances that the Tar Heels have gone one-and-done, dating back to Roy Williams' final season in 2020-21.
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It's the first time they've done that since 1978-80, when the Tar Heels were knocked out three straight years in their opening game. That stretch coincided with what was then the worst run in program history in the NCAA Tournament, as UNC was eliminated in its first game in four out of five seasons from 1976 to 1980.
Hubert Davis is now officially on the hot seat
Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis instructs his team against the VCU Rams in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
North Carolina's head coach needed to lead the Tar Heels past the first weekend to at least cool things down a bit after how the regular season ended, and decision-makers were most likely going to factor in Caleb Wilson's season-ending injury as a reason UNC might fall short of the Elite Eight or Final Four.
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That leeway evaporated after this collapse. The leash on Davis is the tightest it has ever been, especially considering how much UNC invested in this season's roster only to be outcoached and outplayed by VCU after leading by nearly 20 points with under 15 minutes left.
While goodwill toward Davis as a former player and as a person remains in Chapel Hill, he needs a big season next year. The roller coaster that his tenure as UNC's head coach has become is wearing thin for Carolina's decision-makers and its fans.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Instant reactions to Tar Heels' historic NCAA Tournament collapse
