UNC Basketball Lacks Excitement Needed to Build Winning Roster

In the eyes of some Tar Heel faithful, the 2024-25 UNC basketball season was nothing short of a disaster.

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

UNC basketball is inconsistent under Hubert Davis' command. Far too many times in big-time matchups this season, the fourth-year head coach just didn't seem to have his players prepared to match the intensity of their opponents out of the gates. Not good.

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That was again the case in the program's NCAA Tournament South Regional Round of 64 battle on Friday afternoon, as the No. 11 seed Tar Heels appeared uninspired for much of the first half against the No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels in Milwaukee.

They trailed at the break, 44-26. Although the players exhibited resilience by climbing back in the second half, it was once again too little too late, as the Rebels (23-11) sent the Tar Heels (23-14) home with a season-ending 71-64 defeat in tow.

Remember, despite a few key losses in the transfer portal last year, UNC basketball began its campaign at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Even so, the Tar Heels had dropped out of the poll by early December, and they never returned, just two years after Davis failed to guide his 2022-23 squad to the NCAA Tournament after beginning the season at No. 1 in the country.

Sure, last season was impressive, that is until the Tar Heels encountered Alabama in the Sweet 16.

Plus, Davis' debut in 2021-22 featured a dramatic late turnaround and included the unforgettable Final Four win over Duke that ensured Mike Krzyzewski's career ended on a sour note. But two nights later, UNC proved unable to turn a 15-point halftime lead into a national championship.

Consider the disappointments in transfer pursuits. Pair them with what has been remarkable inconsistency, much to the chagrin of the blueblood's proud fanbase. Yes, one could argue that Davis' three seasons with double-digit losses, not to mention nothing but ups and downs in the wins column from one year to the next, squarely point to lack of growth in Chapel Hill nowadays.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of folks who continue to focus on the positives while outright rejecting the idea that someone else could do a better job than Hubert Davis. Maybe their optimism will eventually see its reward.

Meanwhile, though, the Tar Heels' nearby rivals are doing what it takes to thrive in the momentum department at the moment.

No. 1 seed Duke is doing so by recording lopsided victories, perhaps just a few weeks away from its first national championship in the Jon Scheyer era. And NC State, albeit fresh off a disappointing season after reaching the Final Four last year, is now generating undeniable buzz after reaching an agreement with Will Wade for the brash 42-year-old up-and-comer to become its next head coach.

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