North Carolina becomes first preseason No. 1 team to lose four consecutive games

Uneasy is the head that wears the crown. That saying often rings true in college sports and in a sport as chaotic as college basketball, you see it play out much more often than you’d imagine. The North Carolina Tar Heels came rolling into the 2022-2023 season with a roster full of stars returning from their remarkable run to the Final Four in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Their biggest superstars are without a doubt, guard Caleb Love and big man Armando Bacot. Those two players, plus a number of others were massive reasons the ‘Heels were picked No. 1 in the preseason polls. However, their 2022 season has not gone the way the Tar Heel faithful would have hoped, far from it. On Sunday, the ‘Heels dropped their fourth straight game, this one was an 80-72 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, Va. In doing so, North Carolina became the first preseason No. 1 team to lose four straight games. It’s precisely the kind of history that nobody wants to ever accomplish. They now sit at 5-4 overall for the 2022 campaign and they’re going to be close to dropping out of the top 25.

Armando Bacot did not play at all the whole game against the Hokies because he’s been recently dealing with ankle, shoulder, and collarbone ailments.

North Carolina was ice cold from three-point range on Sunday, hitting only 17.6% of their three-pointers. Virginia Tech has quietly looked like one of the most impressive teams in the conference and it’s clear they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in March. Mike Young is one of the best coaches in college basketball and he’s done a tremendous job with the Virginia Tech program the past few seasons. The Hokies dominated the ‘Heels on the glass, 36 to 24.

North Carolina clearly missed Armando Bacot on Sunday

It’s crystal clear that North Carolina missed Bacot’s presence on the floor. He’s been a double-double machine for the Tar Heels the past few years. His size and production are near impossible to replace. Puff Johnson played in his absence on Sunday. Caleb Love, Pete Nance, and R.J. Davis all poured in 18 points apiece against Virginia Tech in the loss.

Virginia Tech got a career-best performance from Justyn Mutts, who poured in 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win. The Hokies now sit at 8-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. Virgnia Tech had four players score in double figures in the win.