Three down, three to go in the bubble struggle for the Tar Heels.
We’re at the stage of the 2024-25 men’s basketball season when getting into the NCAA tournament is the only thing that matters for UNC. According to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Carolina is in the “first four out,” which means the Heels must keep winning and sneak into the “last four in.”
The goal after the lopsided loss at Clemson was to take advantage of the next six games against unranked, second-tier ACC teams before the home regular-season finale with Duke on March 8. A gutty win at Syracuse and home blowouts of N.C. State on Wednesday and Virginia on Saturday might not significantly help Carolina’s NET Ranking (45 through Saturday’s games). But a loss to one of the ACC low-enders would almost assuredly leave the Tar Heels out — unless they upset the No. 3 Blue Devils or make a deep run in the ACC tournament.
It certainly helps that the Heels have upped their game in the three straight wins, their third such streak of the season. For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the program led all three games wire-to-wire. But they must keep it going at Florida State Monday night, at home against last-place Miami on Saturday and at Virginia Tech on March 4. The Seminoles (7-9) are long enough and strong enough to win in Tallahassee, where Carolina has a 19-8 record and became the first school to notch 750 regular season ACC victories there last year. FSU is tied for eighth after giving Louisville a fight at the Yum Center, losing 89-81.
Thanks to SMU’s home loss to Clemson and Wake Forest’s surprising defeat at N.C. State Saturday, UNC is a long-shot for the fourth double bye at the ACC tournament. Carolina (10-6) is one game behind SMU and Wake Forest (both 11-5). Duke (15-1) and Louisville and Clemson (both 14-2) pretty much have the top three seeds wrapped up. The Tar Heels have lost to all three leaders, so something weird has to happen to keep them from having to open play on second-round Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
Frankly, it’s a little hard to tell if the last three wins are more Carolina than less of the opponent. The Heels outshot Syracuse except for missing eight free throws and losing the rebounding and points-in-the-paint battles. They started by hitting 57 percent overall and 40 percent from outside, and the game against State was over by halftime. They led Virginia 21-2 after nine minutes and the closest the Wahoos got was 7 points but not for long in the 81-66 win as UNC moved to 17-11 overall.
UNC’s Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington trap a Virginia player under the basketball during the first half of the Tar Heels’ game vs. the Cavaliers on Saturday, Feb. 22. (Photo by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
An aggressive man-to-man defense mixed with switching, trapping and some zone were key in all three victories — but those opponents will go home after their last loss in Charlotte, if they even make the conference tourney cut. If Carolina wins on FSU’s home court, that says something. The following game is a gimme against last-place Miami, and they they will likely be tested again in Blacksburg, where the 12-15 Hokies are always tough.
The Heels’ emerging star continues to be Jae’Lyn Withers, the fifth-year graduate student who has not played consistent minutes or consistent basketball over most of the 28-game season. In his three straight starts against Syracuse, State and Virginia, he has averaged better than 12 points, made 9 of 13 from the arc and totaled 21 rebounds with 5 blocked shots, 2 assists and a steal. In his first 25 games, the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder averaged 14 minutes, 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. His second double-double (16 and 11) of the season came almost four months after his first on opening night against Elon (10-10).
Withers shared scoring honors against Virginia with Ian Jackson and had six paragraphs dedicated to his play in UNC’s post-game notes. The North Carolina native was asked what is working for him now, so late in the season.
“The easiest way to say it I kind of woke up,” Withers answered. “A big emphasis Coach Davis has been making has been ‘whatever it takes.’ I’ve kind of embraced that and trying to make sure I’m doing whatever it takes to get the W.
“Showing a lot more leadership, making sure I’m sharp so I can relay the messages that he’s expressing. Maybe playing with a lot more energy, I needed to be more animated, show more emotion. I was nonchalant at the beginning of the season. So I’m showcasing more energy, more effort.
“I gotta leave it all on the court,” he continued. “That should be an escape from whatever I have going on off the court or whatever may be going on through my head. It is whenever you get inside those lines, just let everything go and embrace the game.
“Being efficient has been a big thing for me, even though it’s been ups and downs, the best thing is just to keep that momentum going, putting myself in position to go get rebounds, if I do get a hand on it making sure that I secure it.
“Something that HD’s been really emphasizing,” Withers added, “was the miscommunication on switches, not spreading back in defense, taking bad shots, just small things like that. That’s really been the biggest focal point as far as getting us the lead and this win today.”
UNC head coach Hubert Davis speaks with Jay’Lyn Withers as they walk to the bench during Saturday’s game vs. Virginia. (Photo by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
“J-Wit” said the Heels have been “forcing guys who don’t really talk as much or have more quiet personalities to show a little more energy and effort and emotion so everybody can feed off one another.”
Besides eight turnovers and two technical fouls (one by Withers for taunting the Virginia bench after making his second of four 3-pointers), Carolina shot 57 percent, 47 percent from outside and canned all 7 free throws — which prompted Hubert Davis to call it “an almost flawless first half.” The Heels finished with a season-high 56 percent from outside and limited their opponent to 21 rebounds for the second straight game, the lowest in Davis’ head-coaching career.
“We’re getting better that it doesn’t all rely on RJ having a huge night, which we love. Other people are stepping up. Drake Powell is stepping up, J-Wit has been elite on both ends of the floor for three straight games,” Davis said. “We’re just getting positive play and positive minutes from so many different areas. And that’s what a team does. It’s not built on one person. It’s a collection of guys coming together trying to be the best they can be. And I really feel like the last three games we’ve done that.”
They need to keep it up for at least the next three to get where they want to go.
Featured image by Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.
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.
Art’s Angle: Gaining Steam? Chapelboro.com.
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