UNC men's basketball team returns to Chapel Hill following close loss to Kansas

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The 2022 NCAA men's basketball runner-up North Carolina Tar Heels returned home Tuesday after a hard-fought national championship game.

The eighth-seeded Tar Heels ultimately fell 3 points short of top-seeded Kansas despite building an early 16-point lead. It was the largest collapse in NCAA title-game history.

"I can't remember a time in my life where I should be disappointed, but I am filled with so much pride. I'm so proud of these guys of what they have done for themselves, individually (and) as a team," first-year UNC head coach Hubert Davis said.

Still, few thought just a few weeks ago that the Tar Heels would even be in position to win a title this year. The team suffered multiple lopsided losses during the regular season but found its footing and made a strong run through the NCAA tournament.

Students and fans surely wanted a different outcome in Monday night's championship, but many came out to greet and cheer on the team for a hard-fought and extremely successful season.

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UNC's charter flight was scheduled to leave New Orleans around noon Tuesday. However, the flight had been delayed about 30 minutes because of weather causing flight delays across the country.

The team landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport around 2:30 p.m.

After the team landed, it boarded a bus and made the 17 mile drive back to the Dean E. Smith Center.

Davis addressed the crowd outside the Smith Center.

This story will be updated.