The North Carolina Tar Heels started the 2024-2025 college basketball season with high expectations.
UNC won the 2024 ACC Regular Season Championship, earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament and watched RJ Davis win ACC Player of the Year honors. Though North Carolina missed out on several big men in the transfer portal, Cade Tyson’s addition was thought to be a needed missing piece.
Through 20 games this year, it’s safe to say UNC is disappointingly falling short of expectations. The Tar Heels (12-8, 5-3 ACC) struggle to close out games, make 3-pointers, have a spotty defense and miss Armando Bacot’s post production.
If you’re thinking NCAA Tournament, North Carolina has to essentially win out for a shot.
Speaking of the Big Dance, UNC is currently one of USA TODAY Sports’ Last Four Out. The Tar Heels join Wake Forest, Cincinnati and SMU in the grouping, which could easily change through conference tournament play in March.
North Carolina is losers of its past two games: 67-66 at Wake Forest on Tuesday, plus 72-71 against Stanford on January 18. These are just two of nine, one-possession games UNC has played in – and follow a season-best 4-game winning streak.
A troubling trend in each of the Tar Heels’ past two losses: they led at halftime. North Carolina outplayed Wake Forest early in the first half, with defense holding the host Deacs to a poor shooting percentage, but later endured a scoreless spell for over five minutes in the second half. Wake, on the…