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Hubert Davis will need a vote of confidence after this one.
With the wolves more than baying at the door, Bubba Cunningham may need to make a public statement in support of Davis. It would be unconventional, for sure, but that’s how the reaction could be after the 85-65 slaughter at Clemson Monday night.
Few Tar Heel fans will simply accept that their basketball program is not as good as Clemson, which extended its record to 20-5 and 12-2 in the ACC, in equaling its largest defeat over Carolina (14-11, 7-6) in 160 prior games.
Do the Tigers have bigger and better players than UNC? Yes. Do they play harder than the Tar Heels? Yes. Are they better coached by the underrated Brad Brownell? Yes.
However, that is the reality for a team that will likely miss the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years. Clemson, traditionally a football school with coach Dabo Swinney watching in delight behind the bench, will go back after reaching the Elite 8 last season.
In short, a road loss to a 23rd-ranked team is not the issue.
It is how that loss played out after Carolina led 23-21 in the first half. From that point, Clemson took it to another level and the Tar Heels were almost non-competitive.
It was embarrassing, from shooting 4-for-19 from outside and 5-of-11 from the free throw line, getting outrebounded 41-28 and making careless turnovers that included passes to teammates who weren’t there.
The truth accepted by some people is that Davis is not fully responsible for what’s going on this season. UNC’s slow reaction to NIL has created a dearth of typical talent, but this group is not playing close to the potential it does have.
After escaping with a one-point win at home over Pitt, Carolina was facing a do-or-die game in terms of its NCAA resume. A gallant effort against the team that upset No. 2 Duke Saturday might have been acceptable to most, but the result was deplorable and not close to the standard that Carolina basketball has had for the last 60 years.
“Clemson is a really good basketball team,” said hesitant and almost-speechless Davis after the game. “There is a responsibility for this program with that jersey on . . . .”
Forgive Davis if he babbles with the same stale responses he’s had throughout the season. He seems as baffled as anyone watching or listening Monday night.
The Tar Heels knew that more-experienced Clemson had among the best 3-point shooters in the ACC. Yet, about half of the 12 longballs the Tigers made were virtually unguarded. Carolina’s interior defense was not much better, allowing the hosts whose students wore “BEAT Carolina” t-shirts to shoot 50 percent overall.
The Heels now face six games against Quad 2 or 3 opponents. A defeat to any of those will be the nail in their NCAA coffin, barring what now looks like a miracle.
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Featured image via Associated Press/Scott Kinser
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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