UNC Season Farewell
Favorite moments, Coach Davis review, a look to next year
The ouchies and the pride: This team both over- and under-performed my expectations. If you asked me our ceiling at the beginning of the season, I would’ve said a tournament team that maybe makes a Sweet 16, and I would’ve been stunned to know we secured a 1 seed. As the new talent gelled and RJ ascended to greater heights, I believed this team was Final Four good. That’s why the Ba a loss was painful (and this Athletic piece reinforces the collapse). But a few days removed from the pain, I want to highlight the pride of a successful year.
Below I outline my favorite moments, a review of Coach Davis and thoughts toward next season.
Favorite moments
I still put a lot of stock in winning regular season conference championships, and this was our first outright one since 2016-17
RJ’s ACC POY. His jersey will hang in the rafters, and his electric 42- and 36-point outbursts (and three goggles) will be the defining memories. Hopefully, he’ll come back for a victory lap
I’ll always relish beating Duke (twice), and Cormac’s nutso 31-point, 6-three game was an extra fun edition
Senior night feels exceptionally rare in this era, especially with players who’ve played their entire careers at one school. Honoring RJ and Mando (again) before whooping Notre Dame to secure a share of the ACC title vaulted an already fun tradition into an unforgettable night
A Sweet 16 is always an accomplishment1, and beating Michigan State and Tom Izzo meant we certainly had to earn it, highlighted by Paxson Wojcik’s turn-and-jog celebration as RJ popped a corner 3 during our first-half run
Mando closes out one of the most productive careers in Carolina history. His commitment to defense (All-ACC defensive team) and willingness to take a backseat offensively solidified the team this season
Elliot Cadeau showed flashed of becoming the next great Carolina point guard
Seth Trimble’s emergence as a lockdown defender was no surprise, but his effortless levitation (evoking brother JP Tokoto) took my breath away every time
Coach Davis: Bench development but some needed Xs-and-Os
To start, any doubts about Coach Davis’ ability to lead the program should be dispelled. He has a few gaps to close (more below), but he’s steering the program in the right direction.
The challenge of modern coaching is the condensed timeline. You have one year to instill principles and sort out roles, and there’s less compounding benefit since players might come around (or stick around) for only one year. By January, Davis had the team playing vintage Carolina offense along with a tougher defense than recent Carolina teams.
In this first two seasons, Coach Davis was appropriately critiqued for not developing a bench. Bench minutes are needed in-season to bolster the inevitable off nights from starters. But in the AP (after portal) era, bench minutes also convince flighty youngsters that they have a role and future in the program. Seth Trimble, Jalen Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers were productive bench players and (if they stay) should contribute again next season.
Whether guys like foul-machine Zayden High and James Okonkwo feel they got fair playing time is yet to be seen (see the departures section below), but overall, Davis proved he can build a bench.
In March, the line between wins and losses is small. The main gap keeping Coach Davis and UNC from greatness is Xs-and-Os. He made successful in-game adjustments (pressing against FSU, using Cadeau as a screen when defenders sagged), but he still lacks the killer one-play design. Carolina principles promote free-flowing offense and pace, but he should rescue his team during droughts. Other coaches — Bill Self, Mark Few, Tommy Lloyd, even Brad Brownell — can shove their teams through tough stretches with genius play designs. Hubert is yet to consistently show he can provide the same boost.
Departures: the After Portal (AP) era
Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan have finally exhausted their eligibility. Bacot had one of the most productive careers in UNC history, and Ryan infused energy and swagger into an otherwise lowkey team.
In the BP (before the portal) era of college basketball, we’d be building toward another dangerous team next year. While we lose veteran stability (and might contend with some NBA interest), a lot of production and young talent would return. But now, cores can get stripped away in the portal, so carrying the momentum from one season to another is more tenuous.
I’m bracing myself from the inevitable slew of portal entries. Cadeau has star potential, but even his late-game benching in the Sweet 16 has my sweating out his happiness.
In terms of the draft, NIL changes the stay-or-leave calculus. College stars whose game or stature don’t fit the modern NBA profile don’t feel the pull as strongly. We benefitted from extra years of Armando Bacot. For all of RJ’s skill, his size makes an NBA future unlikely. I’ll support any RJ decision, but I hope he uses his fifth year, as well.
Counteracting the NIL pull is a weaker draft class this year. I expect everyone to move up a tier, so late first rounders could slide into a lottery payday, and fringe guys might end up drafted. Harrison Ingram doesn’t spike in a single area, but his balanced game will draw NBA attention. A few NBA mock drafts have him in the late second round.
In future posts, I’ll be tracking the transfer additions and departures across the ACC.
Next year (with so many unknowns)
This potential lineup assumes (hopes) that everyone returns but could compete for another ACC title.
F - Jalen Washington
F - Harrison Ingram
F - Drake Powell (Fr)
G - RJ Davis
G - Elliot Cadeau
Bench - Seth Trimble, Ian Jackson (Fr), James Brown (Fr), High, Okonkwo
Replacing Bacot as the anchor of the defense will be tough, as Washington and Withers are less sturdy in both build and defensive fundamentals. Of the two incoming McDonald’s All-Americans, Drake Powell gets pencilled into the starting 5 because of his size and defensive ability, but Ian Jackson could also start. RJ’s departure could open up spots for both to start. Portal additions can help offset any departures.
At the end of the day, only one team cuts down the nets, and everyone else goes home disappointed. I’m not convinced this team could’ve overcome some of the Goliaths still playing in the Final Four, but I am convinced this team had more to give. But that’s sports. The unknowns of the portal era add nerves to every offseason, but I don’t want uncertainty to taint the joy of the year, so I’ll savor a successful season before the turning the page.
Even for a blue blood like UNC, a Sweet 16 should be celebrated. In a future post, I’ll lay out my blue blood scorecard for evaluating a successful season