When North Carolina takes the court against Butler, it will be the 33rd time the Tar Heels have been one of the last 16 teams left in the NCAA Tournament. It will be the 22nd time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams.
It’s an impressive record, and has led to some memorable games.
North Carolina made their first and second tournament appearances in 1941 and 1946. In both years, only eight teams made the NCAA tournament. Twenty-three teams played in 1957, and the Tar Heels beat Yale to reach the last 16 that year.