North Carolina's furious comeback against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals came up short after Jae'lyn Withers committed a lane violation on teammate Ven-Allen Lubin's successful second free throw attempt — which had it counted,

Friday had all the makings of a classic win for UNC in a season that can best be described as a disappointment. Then Jae'Lyn Withers stepped over the line — literally. The Tar Heels lost a game-tying free throw against rival Duke,

One of the biggest storylines about the Tar Heels making the tournament is that their athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, is the chairperson on the NCAA tournament selection committee. He explained after the bracket was released that he wasn't in the room when the decision was being made and that "all the polices and procedures were followed."

"I was not in the room for any of that." Chairman of the NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham explained the process behind the Tar Heels getting into the tournament. pic.twitter.com/vAD7qu4s3F

For nearly 48 hours, the North Carolina men’s basketball team had to await its NCAA Tournament fate. After losing to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal round Friday night, UNC (22-13) still sat firmly on the proverbial bubble,

Duke, the winners of the ACC Tournament, received a No. 1 seed in the East Region. Why it matters: North Carolina's appearance in the tournament was not a given, with many experts pointing to their weak showing against elite teams this season.

To the surprise of many, North Carolina men's basketball is dancing this March. After underachieving throughout much of the season, the Tar Heels got hot late, winning 9 of their final 12 games. UNC bowed out in the ACC semifinals against Duke on Friday night,