North Carolina isn’t going to make the NCAA tournament.
They don’t deserve to make the tournament, and losing to Duke in one of the most nonsensical ways is only part of the reason.
The Tar Heels were one of many schools that decided to cling to a no longer viable structure.
It’s the danger of only hiring coaches in the family. All too often, this promotes an atmosphere that is held back by blinders.
In today’s world, irrelevancy is right around the corner, even for the bluest of blood.
Just ask Villanova. It’s being reported that Kyle Neptune is out at Villanova. Neptune was an in-the-family hire that went wrong. Neptune’s vision wasn’t the same as Jay Wright’s.
The Wildcats didn’t wait until they became irrelevant before pivoting. They learned where that can take you from a Big East member who resides down 95 South.
North Carolina is finding that out now.
The Tar Heels scheduled themselves out of the tournament. North Carolina spent the summer begging centers in the portal to come to Chapel Hill.
There were the non-conference losses to Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama, and Florida.
North Carolina has a history, and they are one of the few teams that value centers in the offense that harken people back to yesteryear.
None of the centers in the portal were impressed by North Carolina’s history or NIL to jump on board with the Heels.
They would be in the NCAA tournament if the Tar Heels won one or two of those games.
North Carolina is late to the modernization party. Reluctantly, the Tar Heels have brought in a General Manager. Jim Tanner is tasked with saving North Carolina’s basketball program from sliding into the abyss.
It was North Carolina’s way of saving Hubert Davis and his freshly minted extension.
What makes it worse is that Duke was the first program to kick off the General Manager era in college basketball when they hired Rachel Baker.
Despite not having Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils shut the door on their rivals in the ACC semifinals. The reason why is that Duke’s roster is a lot more than Flagg.
They are an embarrassment of riches that makes five-stars want to compete for minutes instead of going to other power programs where they would be gifted as many minutes as they want.
That’s what culture looks like in today’s college basketball world.
It’s the type of culture North Carolina used to have. Chapel Hill is where the concept of family resided on Tobacco Road. Now, it sits a few miles down the road in Durham.
Whether fair or unfair, North Carolina’s head coach, Hubert Davis, laid the path for last night’s loss.
Part of the job is not being able to protect North Carolina’s brand. That meant Davis had to be open to all the changes this era brings. That includes building a roster that can absorb portal transfers, both coming and going. That means not scaring off one-and-dones who feel like Davis might hold them back.
As hard as it may be to accept it, Davis failed North Carolina.
Now, Tanner’s job is to fix it how he sees fit. He might not do it in a Carolina way, which could save the program.
