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It looks like another odd year for Carolina basketball.
In the three seasons of this decade that end with odd numbers, the Tar Heels have played at a level that does not meet the standard set by Hall of Fame coaches for most of the last 60 years.
In 2021, Roy Williams knew he wasn’t doing the job expected of him and graciously retired after 18 seasons and three national championships. The season ended with a blowout loss to Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Roy’s first such ouster.
After taking his first UNC team on a historic Final Four run, Hubert Davis’ 2022-23 squad missed the NCAA tourney despite beginning the season ranked No. 1 in the country. On the way to an 11-9 ACC record and 20-13 overall, games were lost in the last few minutes and five close defeats in February doomed a return to the Big Dance.
After a team with a rebuilt roster made it to the Sweet Sixteen and might have been a basket or two from a another Final Four, the 2024-25 Tar Heels have followed up with something beginning to look like their two “odd number” editions for some of the same reasons and some new foibles that belie what is expected of them.
The defeat at Louisville on Wednesday night was one of those losses. Sure, the lack of an inside game gives these Heels little presence in the paint and rim protection. So far even the talented pieces are not coalescing. Davis said his team wasn’t tough or physical enough.
In a foul-fest at the YUM! Center, where 50 fouls were called and 62 free throws attempted, Carolina still fought back to trail 70-69 behind a combined 37 points and 8 rebounds from freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell. But all of them lost their poise after another big comeback and were outscored 13-1 to the 83-70 final.
Granted, Louisville under first-year coach Pat Kelsey, with 16 new players on the roster, is much better than the teams that won five ACC games over the last two seasons. They held their composure more than the visitors who shot 40 percent and had three players foul out, including a frustrated Elliot Cadeau. Powell, Cadeau and Cade Tyson collected 15 of the team’s total 29.
Despite staying within 10 points for most of the game, the Tar Heels came unglued especially after Powell and Jackson had led their scoring in the second half comeback. They are looking like a team that might finish in the middle of the ACC race and be on the NCAA bubble for most of the season.
With R.J. Davis departing and three other five stars who could enter the transfer portal or NBA draft, the best hope for next season might be that it ends in an even number, like 2022 and 2024, and Hubert can restock the roster once again.
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Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Maggie Hobson
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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