CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –– Michael Vick and Bill Belichick are just the latest impacts of the Deion Sanders effect. Norfolk State and North Carolina will experience greater exposure and expectations, both at the university and conference level.
Hiring these guys marks a new, innovative way of thinking because as students and true pioneers of the game, Vick and Belichick can profoundly impact their programs and make them competitive again.
Since Belichick’s hiring on Dec. 11, his aura and expertise have already earned him major recruiting wins over the past nine days, including a commitment from four-star quarterback Bryce Baker. The No.8 quarterback in the Class of 2025, Baker was introduced with Coach Belichick last Saturday at the men’s basketball game in the Smith Center.
“We’re selling the program, but quite honestly, a lot of players and agents are coming to us saying, ‘We want to be part of the program, is there a spot for us,” Belichick said.
Since then, nine players have also committed to the Tar Heels via the transfer portal and four current players—starting left guard Aidan Banfield, center Austin Blaske, receiver Kobe Paysour and third-leading tackler Amare Campbell—withdrew their names from the portal and were convinced to return to Chapel Hill.
After finishing 6-6 in Mack Brown’s final season, the Tar Heels need some upgrades on both sides of the ball, especially after losing guys like running back Omarion Hampton and edge rusher Kaimon Rucker to the NFL Draft.
With unprecedented transfer portal pickups and future commitments expected to roll in even more over the next couple of weeks, it seems as though the university is picking up things on the football side, while the once-mighty basketball program is spiraling.
North Carolina basketball is 6-5 on the season, the worst since the 2001-02 season. All of their losses came against ranked opponents, including three late-game rallies that showed a clear inability to finish contests.
The increased investment in the football program soars that of the basketball budget, much because of the sweeping changes in response to Belichick’s new system. And basketball’s struggles on the court this year aren’t a particularly good sign in the Chapel Bill era.
Historically, UNC’s basketball success was spearheaded by the late Coach Dean Smith, Michael Jordan and Roy Williams, however the program hasn’t seen the same success under Hubert Davis.
Questions about the program’s vitality— particularly its ability to attract and develop elite talent—had been mounting before Belichick’s arrival. And now those concerns have evolved into a stark reality.
The UNC basketball program desperately needs to make its way back into the win column before facing a complete collapse. As the second-highest revenue-generating sport at Carolina, basketball’s ability to maintain its historic standards takes on even greater urgency and its relevance becomes shakier than ever.
The team is in NYC and will play at the Mecca tomorrow afternoon versus No. 18 UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, an important non-conference game that could be their first ranked win all season.
