Why is North Carolina having a hard time? Opposing coaches weigh in
When the buzzer sounded on North Carolina’s loss at Virginia Tech on Sunday afternoon, the Tar Heels made history. They ended up being the first preseason No. 1 team to lose four straight games.Less than 24
hours later on, when the updated AP poll was launched, they were given another dubious distinction: the fastest preseason No. 1 team to drop totally out of the top 25. Carolina fell out of the rankings a complete 10 weeks quicker than 2019-20 Michigan State.We can dispute the benefits of whether North Carolina ought to have been the preseason No. 1 another time, but the reality stays, this is a team that returned four beginners from a team that led Kansas by 15 points at halftime of the 2022 national championship game. 8 months later on, the Tar Heels are a long method from becoming that group again.So what’s
happening with Hubert Davis’ team? We asked a handful of opposing coaches and coaches who have hunted Carolina this season in an attempt to figure it out.Where’s the chemistry?While none remains in the locker room to see it firsthand, every coach instantly mentioned a noticeable absence of chemistry Carolina is playing with right now.2 Related”It’s apparent there’s turmoil and strife,”one coach stated.
“It’s a lot of chemistry issues, not a lot of X’s and O’s,” another said.Part of the factor the Tar Heels had so much success in last season’s
NCAA competition was that the backcourt of Caleb Love and R.J. Davis shared playmaking and shot-creation roles down the stretch. They appeared to have figured something out over the last few games of the 2021-22 season, and were both great. Love averaged 18.8 points, while Davis installed 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the competition. In addition to those 2, Armando Bacot got consistent touches in good positions and had the ability to control the paint.Whatever worked down the stretch hasn’t rollovered to this season, though, specifically when it comes to sharing the ball and playing together offensively.