North Carolina, which is now leading the ACC, is intent on getting revenge for last season as March Madness draws near.
Under Hubert Davis’s coaching, the Tar Heels advanced to the national championship game in 2022 as an 8-seed and were not present in the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
Legendary coach Roy Williams retired during the 2020–21 season, setting a very high standard for his successor. In his eighteen seasons as the Tar Heels’ head coach, Williams won nine ACC regular-season titles, three ACC Tournament Championships, three national titles, and five trips to the Final Four.
For nine years, Williams trained Davis as a member of his staff before transferring leadership of the illustrious program. Davis’ current assignment is to return his alma institution to the
UNC is in position to win the ACC regular-season championship for the first time since 2019. The Tar Heels also have a good chance of earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, depending on how the remainder of the regular season and the ACC Tournament play out.
Given that they are the best team in the ACC this year, UNC ought to be a favorite in many brackets around the nation.
After starting the season with +2500 odds, North Carolina is currently tied for sixth-best odds (+1800) at BetMGM to win the national championship.
But will the Heels be able to challenge for the program’s seventh national championship, or will they lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament? How NC supporters should wager on UNC versus North
The former is significantly more plausible than the latter since this is the most powerful and cohesive iteration of the Tar Heels since the Davis era. As the postseason draws closer, UNC is on the rise.
“With this group, there’s a hunger and thirst to be the best it can be,” Davis said to CBS Sports.
Two outstanding seniors are leading the charge toward those goals.
Regarding the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the All-America team, RJ Davis and Armando Bacot are under consideration. That dynamic pair is largely responsible for UNC’s high scoring offense in the ACC and its top national rebounding ranking.
With guard Caleb Love moving to Arizona for his final season, 6-foot-1, 180-pound Davis now has more space on the floor.
In addition to leading the ACC in scoring, Davis is shooting an incredible 41.1% from outside the 3-point arc. On February 26, he erupted for a record-tying 42 points in UNC’s 75-71 victory over Miami.
“I’ve seen a lot of performances here at Carolina and also in the NBA,” I said to him following the game. Hubert Davis told On3, “Very few have I seen the type of performance he had tonight.” “I was quite pleased with him.”
Even after RJ Davis’ outburst, UNC had to win by eroding their late 13-point advantage to just two points in the final two minutes.
RJ Davis’ leadership was demonstrated by his preference for the team’s success over his own personal achievement.
Indeed, I did have a
In his fifth season with the Tar Heels, the traditional big man has also profited from the roster overhaul, as he now has more space to work in the post.
Against rival Duke on February 3, North Carolina defeated them 93–84. Bacot finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Around their two senior standouts, the Tar Heels are also surrounded by a strong supporting group.
Guards Cormac Ryan and Elliot Cadeau contribute as role players, and junior forward Harrison Ingram is having a breakout season.
Hubert Davis took significant fire from the Tar Heel supporters after missing the NCAA tournament the previous year despite being the nation’s preseason No. 1 team. But in his resurgent third season, he’s reaffirming his position as the man for the job.
The players are fully committed to Davis’s fluid style of play, which places a strong emphasis on guarding the 3-point line in addition to playing quickly and making good shots. Davis has gained their respect and trust.
In the final game of the regular season, Duke will test UNC, and the ACC Tournament won’t be an easy win. Arizona, Purdue, Houston, and UConn, the defending national champions, are all serious contenders to win it all. But the Tar Heels have also established themselves as legitimate contenders for the national championship.
