CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –– The North Carolina men’s basketball team isn’t just in trouble—they’re in crisis mode. This late-January, early-February stretch of basketball, traditionally crucial for teams to cement their lofty postseason goals, has instead exposed glaring weaknesses in a program that can’t seem to finish games.
The Tar Heels have dropped three of their last four games, each loss more gut-wrenching than the last, all by single digits. These narrow defeats have transformed their dreams of a deep March run into a desperate scramble to avoid repeating the historic collapse of the 2022-2023 season, when they became the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament – entirely under Hubert Davis.
Sitting at 13-9 overall and 6-4 in conference play, UNC now faces their most daunting challenge yet: a showdown with arch rival Duke, who brings an imposing 18-2 record and perfect 10-0 ACC mark into Saturday’s contest at Cameron Indoor. The contrast couldn’t be starker between these two blue-blood programs.
The frustration lies in knowing what this team is capable of – just look back to their season opener against Kansas, where they went punch-for-punch with the Jayhawks in a thrilling 92-89 defeat. But that game now serves as a painful reminder of a recurring theme: the Tar Heels’ inability to close out tight contests.
Tuesday night’s collapse at Pittsburgh epitomized their late-game struggles. The Panthers demolished Carolina with a decisive 14-2 run in the final 5:33, while the Tar Heels’ offense devolved into a painful display of failure – just 21 second-half points on an abysmal 9-of-29 shooting performance, including a frigid 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.
The Tar Heels led for the majority of the night going up 44-34 late in the first half, but the Panthers surged for an 8-0 run to make it 44-42 at halftime. Carolina continued to trudge forward to narrowly lead the Panthers, but fell apart in the final minutes – something we’ve seen happen over and over again this season.
The pattern has become depressingly familiar for Carolina faithful. Build a lead (they were up 44-34 late in the first half), allow a momentum-shifting run (Pitt’s 8-0 surge before halftime), cling to a narrow advantage, then watch it all unravel in the closing minutes.
The Panthers feasted on UNC’s mistakes, converting 14 turnovers into 22 points while the Tar Heels managed just four points off Pitt’s six giveaways – a telling statistic that highlights their inability to capitalize on opponents’ errors.
The absence of a clear-cut floor general has left this team ineffective in crucial moments. Despite a roster loaded with talent, the Tar Heels lack that essential voice who can steady the ship when the games start slipping away. It’s a void that becomes glaringly apparent in the waning minutes of all these close contests.
Against the Blue Devils this weekend, the Tar Heels find themselves at a crossroads. With only seven games remaining in February and March Madness approaching, UNC must find answers quickly. The alternative—watching another promising season spiral into disappointment—is a scenario all too familiar for a program of North Carolina’s caliber.
For a team that entered the season with championship aspirations, simply making the tournament now feels like an uphill battle.
