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Whether he deserves it or not, Hubert Davis will catch holy hell for Friday’s result. And this one will be debated until, at least, the start of next season — because it followed a seasonal pattern that, frankly, makes Tar Heel fans sick.
How can Carolina come off such an impressive blowout of San Diego State Tuesday night and then — with two full days to rest, prep and practice — lay such an egg against a higher-seeded underdog opponent that seemed a perfect matchup on paper? How the players could not be ready for this golden opportunity will give Carolina nation something to moan about all summer.
For starters, the Tar Heels were out-rebounded by an Ole Miss team that came into the NCAA first-round game with the 337th worst rebounding margin in the country. To lose the backboard battle 40-34 is an effort statistic more than anything else.
The 18-point deficit at the half still looked possible for a team used to staging dramatic comebacks all season long, the 11th time they had a 15-plus hill to climb. So we hoped, if not expected, to win.
Despite cutting the Ole Miss lead to two in the final 60 seconds, the frigid Heels could not make one more shot as the ball rolled off the rim all afternoon; or stop from a defense that left the Rebels wide open in the first half; or pull down one more rebound that indeed might have completed their greatest and most important rally of an inconsistent season.
Hubert, who seems to have a tight relationship with all his players, will be hard-pressed to explain how the group could begin so flat and look so unready for what they knew was coming. Did the Rebels play harder, as well as smarter and better? If so, the uber-positive Davis must take the rap for that and — for once — admit it.
How many times did we hear Roy Williams say, “They coached better than we did?” Have we ever heard Hubert say that after a game?
Aside from X’s and O’s, isn’t the job of a big-time basketball coach to make sure his team is prepared to play from the jump? The way the Tar Heels rebounded and executed so poorly on both ends of the floor, especially in the first 24 minutes, will beg that question.
It will stoke the great debate as just one ACC team remains in the 2025 NCAA tournament. The league’s overall weakness makes UNC’s erratic play more puzzling and needs to land in the lap of the head coach, whose recent contract extension through 2030 remains a point of contention.
Facing a team not any bigger, the Tar Heels were manhandled on the glass (21-12) and didn’t get many decent shots in the first half, hitting 35 percent of their field goals, 27 percent of their 3-point attempts and 50 percent of their free throws – all below season averages in any half. They wound up missing 39 from the floor, including 19 from the arc, and 5 foul shots. And yet, Carolina had enough talent and determination to make it a game in the second half.
Carolina men’s basketball never found its footing in the first half against Ole Miss, and the Rebels capitalized – taking a 44-26 lead into halftime. (Photo by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Ole Miss was a microcosm of the roller coaster ride we’ve been on since November. Coming back from 20 down at Kansas, only to lose. Pulling off an overtime win over Dayton in Maui followed two days later by squandering an overtime loss to Michigan State. Not finishing a strong comeback against Florida in Charlotte. Plucky (and lucky) last-second wins over UCLA and at Notre Dame. Losing costly one-pointers to Stanford and Wake Forest, the start of dropping five out of seven games to fall off the NCAA tournament bubble. And after two wins at the ACC tournament, not completing a late, great rally against Duke that was there for the taking.
Like the one-time Dukie Jaylen Blakes helped Stanford seal the damaging upset at the Smith Center, three more ex-ACC players who carried forward an Anyone-But-Carolina animus were the stars of the Tar Heels’ last game. Sean Pedulla — the all-conference shooter at Virginia Tech before earning All-SEC honors at Ole Miss — led the Rebels with 20 points, including his poorly defended three-point dagger after Carolina had cut their lead to two points. Dre Davis, who transferred from Louisville, scored 15 points in the first half on 5-of-5 shooting that included three long balls. And Jaemyn Brakefield, at Duke for one season, was the third Ole Miss player in double figures with 12 points, plus 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
There are other reasons that coaching one of the most enduring brands in college basketball can be so treacherous, from tip-off to final buzzer. Other blue blood programs are also facing issues amid the sport’s shifting landscape, but appear more willing or prepared to navigate the waters of the transfer portal. The hiring of General Manager Jim Tanner will likely create a new dynamic for UNC, and one welcomed by the fan base.
Critics claim Davis tinkered too much with his lineup, and the last iteration came at the expense of Ian Jackson, who has fallen so far down the mock NBA draft board that he is more likely to portal than return to UNC. Some say Hubert doesn’t change defenses enough and use other strategies (call a timeout!) that could stop an opponent’s momentum. Still others blame running ineffective offensive “sets” and going to guards freelancing too early or too late in possessions. Social media and the blogosphere constantly chirp on it amid Carolina’s positive highlights.
From left to right: R.J. Davis, Jalen Washington and Ian Jackson stand in front of UNC’s bench in the final minutes of the Tar Heels’ loss to Ole Miss in Milwaukee. (Photo by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
With R.J. Davis and Jae’Lyn Withers out of eligibility, another roster rebuild could leave the Tar Heels without Jackson, Elliot Cadeau, Cade Tyson and others, who could seek fresh starts somewhere else. Hopefully, Seth Trimble, Ven-Allen Lubin, Powell and Washington stay with the program after having solid seasons. With newly available money expected from an upcoming NCAA court settlement, can Carolina become more competitive in the portal and with pay-for-play, home and abroad?
“I think that’s a great question,” Hubert said at his last post-game press conference of the season. “That’s something I have not thought about at all. My anticipation was for us to play extremely well today, and win and play Iowa State on Sunday. So, it being less than half an hour or 45 minutes from a loss, that’s something that I will have to think about. But I haven’t thought about it now and I’m not gonna think about it today.”
None of those three anticipated things happened — and now Davis’ staff will have the offseason to do plenty of thinking.
Visit our sports section to find more Carolina basketball coverage from Chapelboro.com, onsite at the NCAA Tournament! Proudly presented by Town Hall Grill in Southern Village and High & Rubish Insurance Agency.
Featured image via Associated Press/Charles Krupa
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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