Hubert Davis reaffirms faith in North Carolina players after back-to-back losses
For the second time in as many games, North Carolina lost by one point. Falling 72-71 against Stanford last weekend, the Tar Heels also dropped Tuesday’s game vs. Wake Forest 67-66 after trailing by as many as seven points in the final minute.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis reportedly took a while to come out of the team’s locker room to address the media during UNC’s postgame press conference. This led to one reporter questioning what the message the Tar Heels head coach sent to his team was. Davis kept his answer brief.
“The message is for them. I appreciate you asking me that question, but there are some things that are just meant for us and for our team,” Davis said. “But I love these guys. I love coaching them. I love this team, and I believe in these kids.”
A pair of 3-point baskets by both Jalen Washington and RJ Davis during the final 23 seconds made the final score closer than it would have otherwise. However, it was one basket shy of leaving Winston-Salem victorious.
Still, Davis has high hopes for his group moving forward. At 12-8 overall on the season, North Carolina is off to a 5-3 start to ACC play. Despite UNC currently being ranked No. 38 in the NET rankings, they’ve compiled a 1-7 record against fellow Quad 1 opponents with their only win being against UCLA on a neutral floor.
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The Tar Heels are 11-1 against all other opponents, with Saturday’s loss to Stanford serving as a Quad 3 loss. The 72-71 loss at home came from a last-second jump shot from Cardinal guard Jaylen Blake, causing the Tar Heels to drop their seventh game of the season at the time.
Now, they’ve dropped back-to-back games in ACC play, and look to avoid a third-straight loss coming up vs. Boston College on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET live on the CW Network.
Looking ahead on the Tar Heels’ schedule after the weekend, three of their next five games will feature Quad 1 matchups including Jan. 28 at Pitt, Feb. 1 at Duke and Feb. 10 at Clemson — all on the road. If they catch fire during this stretch, the outlook of their season could potentially shift heading into March.