By Brian Murphy, WRAL

Stay together and stay the course.

That was North Carolina coach Hubert Davis’ message at halftime, in the second half and after the Tar Heels’ dispiriting 87-70 loss to No. 2 Duke on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Davis is not one to panic — even if the Tar Heels’ fan base is in varying stages of meltdown after the loss which highlighted the chasm between the rivals at the moment and shrunk UNC’s NCAA Tournament chances.

UNC is 13-10 overall, 6-5 in the ACC and in danger of missing the most important event in the sport for the second time in three seasons. The Tar Heels never had a chance against the Blue Devils, who led 23-6 less than seven minutes in and didn’t look back. UNC never led.

Perhaps the worst part: It was kind of expected.

“They whooped us,” guard Seth Trimble said, a rare unvarnished assesment of the night.

But Davis, as is his nature, kept a calm demeanor in meeting with the press after the game. There was no chair throw. No peel-the-paint anger. None of the ferocity that he flashes, at times, on the sidelines. The most he allowed was some discouragement.

“This is a great lesson in life,” Davis said. “There are going to be speed bumps and traffic and wind and rain. How do you react when it’s a sunny day and when it’s a windy day? The thing that I have been proud of this team is its fight. It stays connected, it stays together.”

Maybe it’s not the time or the place for anger or frustration or resigination. There’s still five weeks left for the Tar Heels to improve their 1-9 mark in Quad 1 games, the type of victories that the NCAA Tournament selection committee — led this year by UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham — values most heavily. There’s games left with Pitt and Clemson and, of course, a home game against these same Blue Devils.

There’s always the chance, however slim, of an NC State-like run in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

Time is running out.

“We’re not where we wanted to be, but I go back to how do you react and how do you respond,” Davis said. “You move forward. You continue to competitively fight, and there’s still so much of the season still left to get better and to improve. The one encouraging thing for me is that I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential, and that’s still out there.”

Even at their best, the Tar Heels are not in the same class as Duke. And the record against the best teams on their schedule indicate UNC isn’t really a threat if it did make the tournament.

Duke has star freshman Cooper Flagg and a team that compliments him. It was constructed piece by piece through recruiting and the transfer portal to fit together — 3-point shooting, an athletic shot blocker, experienced role players, toughness, length, defense, depth. In this era of college basketball, teams must be built and rebuilt each season. Duke and coach Jon Scheyer nailed it this year

UNC, most definitely, did not. The Tar Heels have talent. Quite a bit actually. It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t work. Too many guards — and small guards. Not enough 3-point shooting. A player or two short in the front court. The transfers haven’t delivered.

Pieces, yes. A coherent puzzle, no. And that falls on Davis, now in his fourth season.

The chatter about Davis and his job has started, though it’s hard to see North Carolina this quickly pushing out a well-respected alum with deep ties to the program who has already reached a Final Four and another Sweet 16 — and delivered two of the most memorable (and, for fans, satisfying) victories in the program’s history against Duke in 2022. Davis recently landed a commitment from Caleb Wilson, a top-10 player in next year’s class.

“People are with you when you’re winning. It’s positive,” guard RJ Davis said. “When you’re losing, that’s when the negative and the opinions come. One thing about me and my main message to this team is ignore all that. Continue to keep fighting, continue to keep pushing through.”

It’s pretty much the only option left for UNC.

The Tar Heels, lacking good wins, were left out of the 2023 tournament at 20-13 overall and 11-9 in the ACC. This year, they have eight games left before the regular-season finale against Duke. At this point, UNC might need to win them all to be dancing.

That’s a big ask. Maybe an impossible one, no matter how well the Tar Heels stay the course.

Source: wralsportsfan.com