Program needs a total reset after the worst six year period in our basketball history. Only time will tell whether Hubert is a part of this reset.
What 6-year period was worse: 1999-2004 or 2020-25? I do understand that as of the end of the 99-04 period, we had a great deal of optimism, and the benefit of hindsight allows us to see the subsequent years that were among the best in UNC basketball history, taking the sting off of the 99-04 period. But if you look purely at the results, which was worse?
1999-2004
1999:
24-10
3rd place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: 13th
First round NCAAT exit
0-3 vs. Duke
2000:
22-14
4th place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: Unranked
Final Four appearance (lost in semifinals)
0-2 vs. Duke
2001:
26-7
1st place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: 6th
Second round NCAAT exit
1-2 vs. Duke
2002:
8-20
7th place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: unranked
No NCAAT appearance
0-3 vs. Duke
2003:
19-16
7th place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: Unranked
No NCAAT appearance
1-2 vs. Duke
2004:
19-11
5th place ACC finish (out of 9 teams)
Final AP ranking: 18th
Second round ACCT exit
0-2 vs Duke
Overall:
118-78
3x finishing in bottom half of ACC
3 seasons finishing unranked
6-4 in NCAAT
2x missing NCAAT
1x making it out of first weekend of NCAAT
1 Final Four Appearance
2-14 vs. Duke
2020-2025
2020:
14-19
13th place ACC finish (out of 15 teams; tied with 3 teams for 13th place)
Final AP ranking: unranked
No NCAAT appearance (there was no NCAAT this year due to COVID, but we would not have made it if there were)
0-2 vs. Duke
2021:
18-11
5th place ACC finish (out of 15 teams)
Final AP ranking: unranked
First round NCAAT exit
2-0 vs. Duke
2022:
29-10
2nd place ACC finish (out of 15 teams)
Final AP ranking: unranked
National Championship appearance
2-1 vs. Duke (and those 2 wins were the greatest wins vs. Duke in UNC history
2023:
20-13
7th place ACC finish (out of 15 teams)
Final AP ranking: unranked
No NCAAT appearance
0-2 vs. Duke
2024:
29-8
1st place ACC finish (out of 15 teams)
Final AP ranking: 7th
Sweet 16 exit in NCAAT
2-0 vs. Duke
2025:
23-14
4th place ACC finish (out of 18 teams; tied for 4th place with 3 teams)
Final AP ranking: unranked
First round NCAAT exit (after winning Firsr Four game)
0-3 bs. Duke
Overall:
133-75
1x finishing in bottom half of ACC
5 seasons finishing unranked
7-4 in NCAAT (not including First Four game)
2x missing NCAAT
2x making it out of first weekend of NCAAT
1 National Championship appearance
6-8 vs. Duke
Just looking at the results, I might go with 1999-04 as being slightly worse. 2020-25 has a better overall record, better NCAAT record, only 1 finish in the bottom half of the ACC vs. 3, and a better record vs. Duke. Comparing the worst seasons within each of those stretches, as bad as 2020 was, 2002 was worse. Comparing the seasons with the best NCAAT runs in each of those stretches, 2022 was better than 2000.