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With its 5-5 ACC record, North Carolina is off to one of its worst starts in league play since Roy Williams took over the program in 2003-04.
Through 10 games only the ’04 and ’10 squads did as poorly in the early and non-so-early going.
More than half the time during Williams’ tenure, including last year, UNC won eight of its first 10 outings. Three of those teams – 2005, 2009 and 2017 – went on to win the NCAA championship. Two others (2008, 2016) reached the Final Four.
Two other times the Heels started 7-3 and didn’t advance past third-round play in NCAA competition.
Only in 2010 did a Williams team fare even more poorly, getting off to a 3-7 start. That unit finished tied for 10th in the ACC, and lost in the NIT finals.
In an impressive eight of Williams’ first 14 seasons, his Heels finished first in the ACC. UNC finished fifth or lower three times. North Carolina currently stands ninth, with three consecutive losses.
| EARLY RETURNS North Carolina Record Through 10 ACC Games (2018 Through Jan. 30) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year |
10-Game Record |
Start | ACC |
ACC Finish |
ACC Postseason |
| 2004 | 5-5 | 0-1 | 8-8 | fifth | Second Round |
| 2005 | 8-2 | 3 | 14-2 | first | Champion |
| 2006 | 7-3 | 2 | 12-4 | second | Second Round |
| 2007 | 8-2 | 2 | 11-5 | first (tie) | Regional Final |
| 2008 | 8-2 | 3 | 14-2 | first | Final Four |
| 2009 | 8-2 | 0-2 | 13-3 | first | Champion |
| 2010 | 3-7 | 1 | 5-11 | tenth (tie) | NIT |
| 2011 | 8-2 | 2 | 14-2 | first | Regional Final |
| 2012 | 8-2 | 2 | 14-2 | first | Regional Final |
| 2013 | 6-4 | 0-2 | 12-6 | third | Second Round |
| 2014 | 6-4 | 0-3 | 13-5 | third (tie) | Second Round |
| 2015 | 7-3 | 1 | 11-7 | fifth | Sweet 16 |
| 2016 | 8-2 | 8 | 14-4 | first | Finalist |
| 2017 | 8-2 | 0 | 14-4 | first | Champion |
| 2018 | 5-5 | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
