Tar Heels won before they even played the national championship.

AP PHOTO/Brynn Anderson

I sat back, leaning against my headboard on March 5. I had no expectations for North Carolina vs. Duke. My only thought was, ‘I hope they don’t lose by 20 points again’.

And then the Tar Heels beat Duke in Durham on a day that was a celebration of Blue Devil Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game 94–81.

I had one foot out the door; it was a roller coaster ride of 20-point victories vs. Michigan and losses of 29, 18, and 22 to Kentucky, Miami, and Wake Forest.

It was a season I couldn’t wait to end because it was going nowhere fast.

And then, on a night that was a coronation of Krzyzewski’s career filled with nauseating pageantry, the Tar Heels smacked their arch-rivals in the mouth, delivering K a demoralizing loss in his last home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

And then Caleb Love hit six 3-pointers in a lopsided victory over Marquette 95–63 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

RJ Davis crossed over to his left, drove to the basket, kissed the ball off the glass, and scored plus the foul to cap a thrilling 93–86 overtime victory over Baylor’s defending champion. A game that included a 25-point Tar Heel lead and a 38–13 Baylor second-half run, but Carolina prevailed.

Sweet 16 bound, I wrote on my Instagram story while sitting in a North Philadelphia bar.

Not this team that was supposed to be a fringe tournament team knocking off the defending national champs. No way did I believe it was possible. But there they were right before my eyes in the East region semifinals, two wins away from the Final Four.

You can scan my Twitter. I said in the preseason this team’s ceiling was the Sweet 16, but I would not have been surprised if they bottomed out in the first round.

After all, it was hard to gauge whether Tar Heel players had bought into first-year head coach Hubert Davis.

And then Love took over again in Philadelphia, scoring 28-second half points cashing six more 3-balls scoring a career-high 30-points in a 73–66 win over UCLA. Love slashed and attacked the rim, flexed, and told anybody within earshot that he was ‘him’.

And after the game, Love and his teammates professed their love for Davis and the importance of the confidence he instills in them.

Remember when I said this team was supposed to back their way into the tournament as an afterthought?

Somehow, Carolina rode an NCAA tournament-best 16.5 point differential into a Final Four berth after defeating Cinderalla media darling Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight 69–49.

That set up a grudge match with rival Duke with a berth in the National Championship at stake. So this team that struggled to find consistency during the regular season will beat Duke twice and end Coach K’s career. No way, I thought.

Then Love matched up against Trevor Keels, took a screen from Leaky Black, crossed over, and launched a deep 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Mark Williams, bang. Carolina won 81–77.

I screamed as loud as I could and jumped as high as I could leap. “We’re going to the natty, yes, sir,” I yelled.

Not this team that lost to an 11–16 Pittsburgh team at home in February. No way this team that was smacked in the mouth and couldn’t counter against Tennesse in a head-scratching 89–72 loss in November is in the national championship.

But none of that mattered. This team bought into Davis and his philosophy. Davis is a motivator, a God-fearing man that wears his faith loudly and proudly. He turned this group of basketball players into a championship team.

They were not picked to be here, yet they were anything after the run to the national championship was the icing on the cake.

Until it was no longer enough.

After Kansas jumped out to a 7–0 run to start Monday’s national championship, this time, Carolina punched back.

With the game tied at 22, the Tar Heels made a ferocious run, taking a 38–22 lead.

This was no longer house money. This team was in a position to become the national champions.

And then Kansas woke up. The Jayhawks went on a hellacious run of their own. What was a 15-point halftime lead for North Carolina was now a 56–50 Kansas lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.

What ensued was a roller coaster of a game. David McCormack capped off a Kansas national title with two jumpers in the paint and a missed Love 3-pointer at the buzzer ended the Tar Heel’s incredible run.

While a championship was right there for the taking, Brady Manek put the Heels up 69–68 with 1:41 left in the game. But unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

That does not diminish what North Carolina was able to do this postseason. Hubert Davis took a group of young men, brought them together, and made them a championship team.

Armando Bacot became an all-time rebounder, recording 31 double-doubles this season. RJ Davis became a point guard who could facilitate and get a bucket whenever Carolina needed one. Love showed he was indeed him, cashing out in big moment after the big moment. Manek became one of the best stretch fours in the nation, shooting the ball from deep with precision to steady Carolina. Finally, Black showed he was one of the best defenders in the country, taking on the assignment of guarding anybody.

Hubert Davis called his job as the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach missionary work, and his players reaped the benefits. Monday night did not end how the team or the fans wanted to, but Carolina won the season before that game tipped off.