North Carolina enters this year's Final Four on a 15-game winning streak. The streak began at home against Clemson on Feb. 10, as the Tar Heels rallied from 11 points down in the final two minutes of regulation and emerged victorious in two overtimes.Much is made, and rightly so, of the fact the Heels could finish with 38 wins, most ever in NCAA Division I competition. (The record, 37, is currently held by four teams, including Duke in 1986 and 1999.) They could also finish with two losses, better than all but six teams in ACC history.
The league had undefeated teams in 1957 at UNC and in 1973 at N.C. State. The Wolfpack was 30-1 in 1974, completing the best two-year run ever in the ACC (57-1). Three other squads lost only twice in a season: UNC in 1982 (32-2) and Duke in 1992 (34-2) and 1999 (37-2).
Four of those low-loss teams won NCAA titles: the Tar Heels of 1957 and 1982, N.C. State in 1974, and Duke in 1992.
Duke holds the dubious distinction of seeing losses end the three longest winning streaks carried by ACC teams into a Final Four.
| FOUR FLUSHERS Consecutive Game Winning Streaks By ACC Teams Ended in Final Four |
|
| 32 | Duke, 1999* |
| 21 | Duke, 1986* |
| 19 | Duke, 1963 |
| 16 | North Carolina, 1997 |
| 15 | North Carolina, 1977* |
| 12 | Wake Forest, 1962 |
| 9 | Duke, 1964* |
| 8 | Georgia Tech, 1990 |
| 8 | Duke, 1988 |
| 7 | North Carolina, 1998 |
| 7 | North Carolina, 1991 |
| 7 | North Carolina, 1981* |
| 7 | Duke, 1978* |
| 6 | Duke, 1966 |
| 6 | North Carolina, 1967 |
| 6 | North Carolina, 1968* |
| 5 | Georgia Tech, 2004* |
| 5 | Duke, 1994* |
| 5 | Duke, 1990* |
| 5 | North Carolina, 1972 |
| 5 | North Carolina, 1969 |
| 4 | Duke, 2004 |
| 4 | Maryland, 2001 |
| 4 | North Carolina, 2000 |
| 4 | North Carolina, 1995 |
| 4 | Duke, 1989 |
| 4 | Virginia, 1984 |
| 3 | Virginia, 1981 |
| * Reached title game. | |
To date, 10 ACC teams won national titles. Entering the Final Four, these were their winning streaks:
| 30 | North Carolina, 1957 |
| 26 | N.C. State, 1974 |
| 14 | North Carolina, 1982 |
| 11 | Duke, 1992 |
| 10 | Duke, 2001 |
| 8 | N.C. State, 1983 |
| 6 | North Carolina, 2005 |
| 6 | Maryland, 2002 |
| 4 | North Carolina, 1993 |
| 4 | Duke, 1991 |