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,

North Carolina just blew its shot at the ACC Tournament championship game in perhaps the worst way possible. With just 4.1 seconds left in the semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Duke on Friday, UNC was called for a lane violation on a potential game-tying free throw.

The Tar Heels’ 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games proved not to be a fatal flaw as North Carolina will face San Diego State in Dayton.

"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

Do the North Carolina Tar Heels deserve their spot in the NCAA Tournament? Broadcaster/bracketologist John Fanta doesn't think so.

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.

The North Carolina Tar Heels just snuck into the NCAA Tournament with the last available at-large spot. Here are three reasons they deserve to be there.