CHARLOTTE, NC — The national spotlight has returned to North Carolina’s men’s basketball program.
The retirement of Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams for two years in 2020 and 2021 and a shaky start to last season kept UNC out of national relevance. To date, UNC has topped the pre-season rankings of many national outlets.
After qualifying for the national title and reviving a veteran roster, the Tar Heels have shown that all the speculation surrounding the program’s future is just that: speculation.
In front of a crowd of reporters at the ACC Tipoff on Wednesday, head coach Hubert Davis said his expectations remained the same as the conversation about the team changed.
“The only difference between last year and this year is the outside noise,” Davis said. “Last year we didn’t think we had a chance because of the noise outside.
This is the first time so many players on the current UNC roster have entered a season so hyped. Senior forward Armando Baco remembers being part of a highly touted squad that finished tied for last in the ACC in his 2019-20 season with just 14 wins.
“A lot of people tried to count North Carolina,” Baccott said. “I feel like we’re back where we started.”
A first-team All-ACC selection, Bako leads the group of returning players who earned their stripes in March. Prior to last season, the only player on the roster that he won with UNC in an NCAA Tournament game is alumnus Leakey Black.
Junior guard RJ Davis said his postseason experience will be invaluable to the team.
RJ Davis said: “We know what to expect and I think that’s kind of an advantage for us this year.”
RJ Davis and Caleb Love comprise a talented backcourt who at times struggled to share the floor early in their careers. It looks like the duo has finally pushed the stretch down, and now they’re poised to bring that synergy into the junior season.
“When you play the NCAA Tournament, you can see our growth[from the beginning of the year to the end of the year],” said RJ Davis. “It was incredible how much confidence we had, both individually and collectively.”
In a program with so much championship history, comparisons are inevitable. In 1982, UNC won the NCAA Tournament after losing the title game the previous season, and the same thing happened to him in 2017. A group of experienced upperclassmen, it was in his game of the championship when he took revenge for the team that lost to Villanova in 2016.
However, Love doesn’t invite comparisons to 2017’s “Redeem Team.” Instead, he says the team wants to “write its own story” this season.
“We feel like a completely different team,” Love said.
It may be a different team, but the Tar Heels enter this season with the same “championship or bust” mentality that the college basketball world has come to expect from the program.
“Amazing to see, isn’t it? UNC basketball is back on top,” said RJ Davis. “It’s like reversing the script again just to get back to where Carolina basketball has always been.”
@dthsports | |sports@dailytarheel.com
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