Honestly, if you walked into the Dean E. Smith Center last March, you probably would’ve felt the tension through the floorboards. It was thick. The 2024-25 season was, to put it bluntly, a mess that North Carolina fans aren't used to seeing. They snuck into the tournament as an 11-seed—the very last team in—and the "brand over substance" talk was everywhere. Even West Virginia's governor got involved, calling the selection a "miscarriage of justice."
But things have changed. Fast.
If you haven’t been watching NCAA North Carolina basketball over the last few months, you’ve missed a total identity shift. Hubert Davis didn't just tweak the roster; he basically threw the old blueprint into a shredder. He admitted on his radio show at Top of the Hill that the "old model" wasn't sustainable. NIL, the portal, and international scouting have turned Chapel Hill into a laboratory for a new kind of college hoops.
The International Experiment and a 7-Foot Problem
For decades, Carolina was built on "lifers." You know the type. Kids who stayed four years, learned the secondary break, and graduated with three degrees. That’s over. Look at the roster today and you’ll see Henri Veesaar and Luka Bogavac.
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Veesaar, the 7-foot Arizona transfer by way of Estonia, has been a godsend. Last year, the Tar Heels were "small." They got bullied on the glass. This year, Veesaar is putting up 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds a game. He isn't just a big body; he stretches the floor in a way that makes Hubert’s "multiple shooters" philosophy actually work. Then there’s Bogavac, a 6-foot-6 guard from Montenegro. There was a bunch of drama with his transcripts early on, but now that he’s cleared, he’s giving them 9.5 points a night and a toughness they desperately lacked.
It’s weird seeing a UNC team with this many accents, but it’s working. They started the season ranked No. 25—their lowest preseason spot since 2005—and they’ve already climbed into the top 15.
Why the Stanford Loss Isn't a Disaster (Yet)
Just yesterday, on January 14, 2026, the Heels took a tough 95-90 loss to Stanford. It was Stanford’s first time hosting Carolina as an ACC member, which still feels like a fever dream to say out loud. Stanford hit 16 three-pointers. Sixteen! You usually don't win games when the other team turns into the 2016 Warriors.
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- The Good: UNC shot 58% from the floor.
- The Bad: They went 1-for-9 from deep in the second half.
- The Reality: They are 14-3.
The record is fine. The chemistry is clearly there. Seth Trimble has finally stepped into that alpha role as a senior, averaging 15.7 points. He’s the bridge between the old "Dean Smith" era vibes and this new portal-heavy world. He’s also one of only four guys on the entire team who had actually scored a point in a Carolina jersey before this season started. Think about that. The turnover is staggering.
The Caleb Wilson Factor
If you want to know why people are actually excited again, look at Caleb Wilson. The freshman forward from Atlanta is a walking highlight reel. He’s 6-foot-10, he handles the ball like a wing, and he's currently leading the team with 19.5 points per game.
He also isn't shy. Over the summer, a video went viral of him saying he "didn't like Duke, State, or Wake" and that the Heels were "putting belt on everybody." That’s the kind of arrogance—or confidence, depending on who you ask—that this program was missing. He and Veesaar have already combined for seven double-doubles. They are arguably the most versatile frontcourt in the country right now.
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Is Hubert Davis Still on the Hot Seat?
This is the question nobody in Chapel Hill wants to answer directly. Bubba Cunningham, the AD, gave Hubert a contract extension through 2030, but we all know how college sports work. Last season's bubble-bursting anxiety almost broke the fan base.
Hubert is 115-47 overall. That’s a 71% win rate. Most schools would build a statue for that. But this is Carolina. If they don't make a deep run in March, the "standard" talk starts up again. The hiring of a General Manager was a massive step toward modernization, but wins are the only currency that matters in the ACC.
Right now, they are sitting at 2-2 in the conference. It’s early, but with Duke and Clemson looking like juggernauts, the margin for error is razor-thin.
What to Watch Moving Forward
If you're following NCAA North Carolina basketball through the rest of the winter, keep an eye on these three specific areas:
- The Perimeter Defense: In that Stanford loss, the Heels were late on rotations constantly. If they can't guard the arc, the tournament will be a short trip.
- Jarin Stevenson's Consistency: The Alabama transfer is talented, but he’s still hovering around 6 points a game. They need him to be a double-digit threat.
- The 2026 Recruiting Class: They already landed Maximo Adams, a high-motor 6-foot-7 wing. If they can snag another blue-chip big, the future looks way more stable.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Paint touches: Notice how often the ball goes through Veesaar or Wilson before a shot is taken; the Heels are 11-0 this season when they record 15+ assists.
- Monitor the Quad 1 Wins: The schedule gets brutal in February with trips to Duke and Virginia. Keep a tally of "resume" wins to see if they can avoid the 11-seed territory this time.
- Check the Rotation: Watch if freshman Derek Dixon starts stealing minutes from the veteran bench; his 37.5% shooting from deep is becoming too valuable to ignore.