Hubert Davis downplays the impact NCAA Tournament weight is having on struggles

North Carolina still finds itself on the bubble after their 80-72 loss at home on Monday night to No. 15 Miami. After the Tar Heels had dropped three straight, they felt really good about regrouping with a 20-point victory over Clemson. Now, they’re back to the drawing board again.

Even so, Hubert Davis doesn’t believe his team is crumbling under the pressure. The energy might be a little off in Chapel Hill but he chalks it up more to frustration than any real fractures within the team. Considering what’s left on UNC’s schedule, he actually says they’re optimistic about what’s ahead even though they couldn’t get the job done against the Hurricanes.

“I wouldn’t say that. They’re upset that we lost the game tonight. I wouldn’t take it there,” said Davis. “We have a game against NC State on Sunday. Then we play Notre Dame, Virginia, Florida State, and then we close out the regular season with Duke at home. We’re excited about our effort from Saturday against a really good Clemson team…And, at the end of the day? We just weren’t good enough (tonight).”

North Carolina and Miami traded blows through the first half inside the Smith Center. However, the ‘Canes blew things open with a 19-6 run to open the second half. The Tar Heels cut it back to single digits but that run was more than enough to keep Jim Larrañaga’s team in front for good.

Still, Davis hasn’t thrown in the towel yet and neither has his team. Their disappointment is real but so is their opportunity to better secure their spot in March with a solid end to this season. That’ll require them to pick themselves up this week, though, as they prepare for a road trip to Raleigh to face the 23rd-ranked Wolfpack.

Armando Bacot after Miami loss: ‘I’m blank right now’

North Carolina fell to Miami 80-72 on Monday night, marking the fourth loss for the program in the last five games. Even star Armando Bacot is at a loss for words given the team’s recent struggles.

The 2022 national runner up, UNC now finds itself fighting for its NCAA Tournament life. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Tar Heels as one of the “Last Four In” as of Monday.

“I’m honestly just blank right now,” Bacot told reporters after the game. “Not really processing anything. I don’t really know how I feel right now.”

Miami built a sizeable lead in the contest against North Carolina in the second half then was able to close it out as the Tar Heels made a run of it late.

The loss was North Carolina’s fourth in the last five games. And you don’t need to remind Bacot of the importance of the closing stretch.

“We’ve got to figure something out because we’ve got a tough stretch coming up,” Bacot said. “It doesn’t get easier, so we’ve got to figure it out.

“It’s tough how it’s been all year. This is not how any of us wanted it to go, but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to figure out something.”