UNC Basketball Squad Approaches Rock Bottom at Louisville

UNC basketball may now lose its status as a projected NCAA Tournament team.

UNC basketball guard Ian Jackson versus Louisville / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Sure, Hubert Davis and his fourth UNC basketball team have faced a daunting schedule. But the losses are stacking up quickly. And the latest defeat, albeit on the road, came at the hands of an opponent sitting 15 spots below the Tar Heels in the latest NCAA NET Rankings.

ALSO READ: UNC Rookie Guard Ian Jackson Secures National Honor

UNC suffered a 83-70 loss to the Louisville Cardinals (8-5, 2-1 ACC) in the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday night. The Tar Heels, unranked in four straight weeks after beginning the season at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 Poll, dropped to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

After climbing back from an 11-point deficit in the second half and trailing by only a point with 5:09 to play, UNC allowed Louisville to go on an insurmountable 12-0 run.

Freshmen Ian Jackson, who tallied 23 points, and Drake Powell, who fouled out with 14 points, accounted for over half of the Tar Heels' scoring output.

The Tar Heels next travel to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-6, 1-1 ACC) at noon ET Saturday (CBS).

As things stand, over the past three seasons, UNC basketball is on about the same level as its second-rate rival, NC State. The programs are tied with 57 wins apiece since the start of their 2022-23 campaigns. Although the Tar Heels have five fewer losses in that span, the Wolfpack, sitting at 8-5 this season, enjoys one more ACC Tournament title and Final Four appearance.

ALSO READ: Five-Star 2026 Point Guard Receives Dream UNC Offer

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.