North Carolina had a 15-point pb entering halftime of past season's NCAA title crippled against Kansas. The Tar Heels would yet suffer that matchup -- but they entered the 2022-23 play arsenic the No. 1 squad successful America and the nationalist rubric favorite. Hubert Davis had, aft all, returned cardinal players from that Final Four squad and added Northwestern transportation Pete Nance to regenerate Brady Manek.
But November wasn't benignant to the Tar Heels, who mislaid their 3rd consecutive crippled Wednesday -- each to ranked opponents -- with a 77-65 loss astatine Indiana. The preseason buzz is gone now. And a North Carolina squad that inactive has matchups against Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Michigan earlier it begins the bulk of its ACC slate successful January indispensable find immoderate answers soon.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf sermon however Hubert Davis tin close the ship, what it each means for its seeding -- and whether we're overreacting to 3 losses by the erstwhile No. 1.
North Carolina has 3 consecutive losses (Iowa State, Alabama, Indiana). What person these losses taught america astir the erstwhile No. 1?
That UNC is 1 antithetic preseason No. 1. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, it is conscionable the 4th specified squad successful 62 years to suffer 3 consecutive games.
Thus acold successful 2022-23, the Tar Heels person been little effectual connected some sides of the ball. Part of that is simply the bully luck they experienced past March, erstwhile six NCAA tourney opponents changeable 27% connected their 3s. Those days are gone. Disregarding a 3-of-13 show by Indiana, opponents this play are connecting a overmuch much customary 35% connected 3s. North Carolina's interior D hasn't been particularly pugnacious either.
Meanwhile, Caleb Love and Nance are shooting a combined 29% from 3, and -- I ne'er thought I would benignant these words with notation to the Tar Heels -- the squad arsenic a full is attempting shots astatine a amazingly mean volume. There's enactment to bash successful Chapel Hill. --John Gasaway
So, is it clip to panic yet?
Losses happen, and Iowa State, Alabama and Indiana are each bully teams. But the mode the Hoosiers bullied North Carolina for astir of Wednesday's crippled would origin maine to panic if I was a instrumentality of the Tar Heels. Indiana had 50 points successful the paint, much than doubling up North Carolina astir the rim. It changeable 57% wrong the arc and outscored the Tar Heels successful transition.
When North Carolina was astatine its champion nether Roy Williams, it was astir two-big lineups and the secondary break. But Indiana was tougher, much carnal and much aggressive.
There are conscionable a batch of issues close now. The Tar Heels are shooting 30% from 3; the magic that helped Caleb Love transportation them successful the NCAA tourney is gone; Armando Bacot and Pete Nance aren't clicking rather arsenic good arsenic Bacot and Brady Manek did; the seat has been mostly nonexistent this season. Some of this worldly volition beryllium worked retired arsenic the play progresses, but the things that were truthful effectual during the NCAA tourney tally conscionable aren't happening close now. --Jeff Borzello
What does Hubert Davis request to bash to salvage his team's season?
He has mastered the archetypal task. Davis continues to preach patience wrong his program. As North Carolina struggled done the Phil Knight Invitational successful Portland implicit Thanksgiving weekend, helium said it was astir important for his squad to beryllium No. 1 successful April, not November. And the Tar Heels' Final Four tally proved that a squad tin stumble done the assemblage hoops play for months and inactive extremity with a glorious finish. They conscionable person to support believing they'll crook the corner.
But Davis besides has to convey a greater consciousness of urgency, peculiarly with his team's violative flaws. He favors the NBA benignant and allows his players to create, which is good erstwhile you person NBA talent. But a squad that's shooting 30% from 3 enactment is not that.
In the team's 3 consecutive losses, Love and R.J. Davis were liable for 115 of the team's 200 tract extremity attempts (58%). North Carolina won't bushed apical programs with much disciplined and businesslike defender play unless they tin beryllium catalysts for a squad that has to beryllium amended astatine uncovering the champion changeable connected each possession, and eliminating the leader shot that has impacted its season. --Myron Medcalf
A batch of games volition beryllium played betwixt present and the adjacent variation of Bracketology. How acold could the Tar Heels autumn aft this loss?
First things first: No 1 should beryllium amazed North Carolina isn't the champion squad successful the country. The Tar Heels were ever a campaigner to descent from the No. 1 ranking -- successful portion due to the fact that they had lone 1 mode to go, and successful larger portion due to the fact that they are simply the latest illustration of a squad evaluated much by what happened successful March than by the 4 months preceding it.
That said, losing to 3 consecutive NCAA-level opponents is origin for concern. It's not similar UNC is successful information of missing the tournament, but a instrumentality to the Final Four is simply a full batch easier for a No. 1 effect than the 5-seed it had already fallen to successful this week's bracket. A triumph astatine Virginia Tech connected Sunday would apt support the Heels connected that line, but different nonaccomplishment would mean astatine slightest different effect enactment drop. --Joe Lunardi
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