UNC basketball changed its starting lineup, but it didn’t change the Tar Heels’ fate against Alabama on Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Hubert Davis’ club faced another double-digit deficit in the first half, struggled with turnovers and saw the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide rain 3-pointers in a 94-79 win against No. 20 UNC at the Dean E. Smith Center.
For the second time in three seasons, the Tar Heels (4-4) have four losses before Christmas and will ride a three-game losing streak into their ACC opener against Georgia Tech (4-4) on Saturday (2 p.m., ACC Network) in Chapel Hill.
Will UNC be able to fix its problems?
UNC is 0-4 against high-major opponents this season. Here’s what went down in UNC’s loss to Alabama (7-2), which was the Tar Heels’ worst loss since an 87-67 defeat to Duke in 2022.
Drake Powell enters starting lineup, but UNC basketball’s first-half struggles continue vs Alabama
The Tar Heels have trailed by double digits in each of their four games against high-major opponents, including a 13-point deficit against Alabama as the Tide rolled out to a 31-18 lead.
Freshman wing Drake Powell replaced Jae’Lyn Withers in the starting lineup, but UNC had seven of its nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes and trailed 43-34 at halftime. The Tar Heels came into Wednesday’s game averaging 9.6 turnovers before finishing with 13 against Alabama.
RJ Davis shooting struggles, UNC’s overall 3-point shooting
UNC missed 14 of its 16 attempts from 3-point range, and fifth-year guard RJ Davis continued to struggle with his outside shot. Davis, who missed 14 of his 20 shots against Alabama in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, had a 7-for-24 shooting night in the rematch vs. the Tide. The reigning ACC Player of the Year entered Wednesday’s game making 27.5% of his treys.
Elliot Cadeau turnovers are becoming a problem
Sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau, who struggled with turnovers and foul trouble in three games at the Maui Invitational, carried those problems back to Chapel Hill. In 24 minutes against Alabama, Cadeau went 0-for-4 shooting, finishing with 1 point, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls and 4 turnovers. He’s logged 16 turnovers and 15 turnovers across the last four games.
Ian Jackson was a bright spot for Tar Heels vs Crimson Tide
Freshman guard Ian Jackson appears to be getting better with each outing. Jackson, who kept UNC in the game with 11 first-half points against the Tide, finished with a season-high 23 points. In games against Kansas, Michigan State and Auburn, the Bronx guard averaged 11 points.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
