North Carolina has fallen. The unranked Tar Heels find themselves struggling after a narrow 67-66 loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday night, contributing to UNC’s second straight one-point defeat—a rare occurrence for the program in 57 years. In just 20 games this season, UNC basketball has already equaled the losses it suffered throughout last year. These growing struggles are not only jeopardizing the team’s postseason hopes but also putting Hubert Davis’s leadership under scrutiny.

In the recent of Field of 68: After Dark, Chris Childers stated: “Their Frontcourt is not good enough, the backcourt’s good. So you know, I talk a lot about football, that to me would be like getting a lot of great skill players and then just being awful at the line of scrimmage and you’re gonna get your a-s kicked. Doesn’t matter how good your guards are, doesn’t matter how good your quarterback or your wide receivers or anybody.” 

In their fourth consecutive loss, the Tar Heels couldn’t finish strong against Wake Forest, as the Deacs pulled away with a 12-2 run in the final five minutes.

Guard RJ Davis led UNC with 21 points, while Elliot Cadeau was named as the player of the match recording a double-double with 14 points and 12 assists. However, the Tar Heels struggled to find their rhythm, getting outscored in the second half for the sixth time in the last seven games. Their shooting was off, as they made just 6 of 10 free throws and missed 24 of 32 attempts from beyond the arc. Wake Forest would end up handing a 3rd ACC loss to the Tar Heels, keeping them at 5th in the standings.

“My question is why? Why are they crushed, why can’t they compete with Duke? And if he [Hubert Davis] cannot, if he is shown the collective or the NIL or whatever the hell’s going where they’re not winning players, I wanna get the inside here, why are they getting beat for players? And if the answer is he’s not good enough or he doesn’t have a staff to make the deals, then he’s gotta get the hell outta there period,” he adds. 

Under Coach Hubert Davis, UNC has faced significant challenges in recruiting, especially with the shift brought about by (NIL) rights. Earlier in the season, the Tar Heels failed to sign Utah Prep five-star forward and top-ranked 2025 recruit AJ Dybantsa. He would join BYU instead, leaving the speculations swirling around UNC’s unwillingness or inability to match the NIL package.

The growing influence of agents has made the recruiting process more complicated, as players now consider more than just the program’s appeal when making their decisions. Davis has acknowledged this shift, recognizing that the presence of agents has added an extra layer of complexity to the process.

He’s also emphasized that UNC’s approach to NIL focuses on authenticity, not treating it as just a transactional tool. While this philosophy reflects the program’s values, it could put the team at a disadvantage compared to others that are using NIL deals to attract top talent. Why is UNC who’s always in contention for the national championship left in this state?

UNC Basketball faces challenges under Hubert Davis

For the second time in four seasons, North Carolina basketball is going through a difficult stretch. In the past fifty years, the Tar Heels have only once missed the NCAA Tournament twice in three years, a rare occurrence dating back to the mid-1970s.

That previous stretch happened under coach Matt Doherty, who spent just three seasons at Chapel Hill. During his time, the Heels missed the Tournament in 2002 and 2003. Faced with mounting pressure and strained relationships with players, Doherty resigned in April 2003.

Hubert Davis, in his fourth year as head coach, has had his own successes. Under his leadership, the Tar Heels won 29 games and reached the national championship game in 2022. Last year, they finished 17-3 in ACC play, claiming the regular-season title and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

However, a closer look at Davis’ tenure reveals a mixture of highs and challenges that have defined Carolina’s recent journey under his leadership.

With UNC facing a lower-ranked team in their next game, a victory could provide the momentum needed to turn things around. Yet, with postseason hopes slipping and increasing scrutiny over his leadership, Davis must find answers quickly.