The UNC basketball program was gaining momentum in the second half.
Where have we heard this narrative before? Oh yeah, essentially every game the Tar Heels have played this season. It feels like we continue to play out the same story, only against a different opponent.
The Tar Heels come out absolutely flat in the first-half, going down by double-digits.
To start the second half, North Carolina comes out with a vengence.
Ultimately, the Tar Heels find a way to lose, wasting the comeback effort.
Rinse, wash, and repeat.
Of course, the guys on the court rightfully haven’t played to the level they are capable of. However, Hubert Davis deserves plenty of blame, as his questionable decision making has come back to hurt this team more times than not.
Remember when Davis took over the job, and we essentially were begging him to even acknowledge his bench? While the “Iron Five” somehow managed to make it to the NCAA title game, it wasn’t a recipe that Tar Heel fans wanted to ever see again.
As the years went by, Davis got a little better at subbing in and out, but it still felt like he didn’t have a feel for the game at times. Now, essentially a third of the way through his fourth season at the helm, Davis is still struggling to figure it all out, as evident by his pattern of substitutions during the second half of his team’s loss to No. 7-ranked Florida.
While the starting unit went on an explosive run to begin the second half, it was this lineup combination that really put the pressure on the Gators mid-way through the second half:
RJ Davis
Ian Jackson
Seth Trimble
Cade Tyson
Ven-Allen Lubin
Jackson was showcasing his crossover moves while RJ Davis was heating up, knocking down shots all over the floor. Even though Tyson wasn’t scoring the basketball (which is the main reason why North Carolina recruited him as a transfer), his length was serving well on the defensive side of the ball next to Lubin.
Instead of “riding the hot hand,” Davis elected to go to the bench, making a trio of mistakes.
Davis inserted Elliot Cadeau into the game for Trimble, and also elected to remove both Tyson and Lubin from the game in favor of Jalen Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers.
Cadeau made some questionable decisions (resulting in some untimely turnovers) while Washington and Withers continued to be ineffective, which doesn’t surprise Tar Heels fans given their early season performances up to this point.
Instead of going back to the original lineup that was working, Davis trots out a four-guard lineup (with Lubin at the center position), a unit that was tasked with having the out-rebound a much-bigger Florida team.
I’m sure you can tell how that went.
Florida out-rebounded North Carolina 8-1 over the final few minutes of play, as the Gators’ ability to gain some timely offensive rebounds helped seal the deal in this one.
While some will say “well, you aren’t in his position.” You’re totally right, I’m not. However, Hubert Davis needs to get a better feel on the sidelines, as this team is spiraling out of control and we haven’t even reached ACC play yet.
If I was in his shoes, here are some things I’d consider:
Getting out to better starts: why does this team feel the need to wait until the second half to show up in games? I don’t know what the solution is, but Davis and the coaching staff need to wake this unit up before the opening tip even occurs.
Unleash Ian Jackson: It’s time. Jackson needs to be inserted into the starting lineup, and the only realistic option is to move Cadeau to the bench. Jackson needs to be playing a significant amount of minutes alongside RJ Davis.
Stop playing Washington and Withers together: Please, let’s avoid this. In fact, it’s time to limit their minutes and see what you can get out of Cade Tyson, Ty Claude (who played sparingly against Florida) and even James Brown. Maybe Davis and the Tar Heels staff are holding guys like Tyson back.
Finding an offensive identity: It truly feels like timeouts are wasted by the Tar Heels. You know what “play” is coming out when they return to the floor, it doesn’t take rocket science to figure it out.
The Tar Heels need to figure out their identity (whatever that is), and Davis needs to incorporate some new schemes and looks to get the likes of Davis, Trimble and Jackson open in space. Right now, the game plan simply isn’t cutting it.
While I’m not calling for anyone’s job, I will say this: if the Tar Heels continue to struggle, the hot seat will get warmer as time goes on. Once that happens, the pressure is truly on.
