Nearly twenty thousand people witnessed the UNC Tar Heels beat the Wolfpacks in Lenovo Center on Saturday. A gravity defying dunk in the crunch time followed by a game-winning block, both from Jalen Washington, had the Tar Heels supporters on their feet. Hubert Davis and his crew have really turned things around after a horrendous conference opener, adding three straight wins to their record. Their comeback story is filled with discipline, a little help from their competitors as per the HC.

In the post-match conference, a reporter asked Coach Davis about the growth and maturity of his group, as well as how it was to play in such a hostile environment. “I do think the schedule we played in non-conference has helped us.” The head coach responded honestly, “I mean, a lot of people don’t even include, in the pre-season, we went to Memphis. Then we played a true road game at Hawaii… Playing here is a very difficult environment, but we’ve been there before.”

The Tar Heels have played 5 true road games so far, winning 3 of them. They have also faced four top-10 opponents in their first 11 games, including the likes of Kansas and Auburn, albeit ending in a loss. But lessons learned nonetheless, improving their conference record to 4-1. Ian Jackson top-scored with 21 points, while RJ Davis and Jalen Washington both had 11 as they took on the Wolfpacks. But it was Washington who would steal the spotlight in the final seconds.

With the score tied at 61, the forward added a dunk with 24 seconds on the clock and finished with a block as Jayden Taylor attempted for a layup. The Tar Heels have been in similar situations before, one with the UCLA Bruins. It was a one possession game where UNC needed one stop, and it was ultimately decided by free throws. Coach Davis believes these experiences have only helped them grow.

“We’ve been in that situation where we need a basket, or we need a stop so it’s great to pull experiences that you’ve had as a team or individually to be able to execute,” he adds. But while the Tar Heels have been turning things around, a little trouble hasn’t evaded the team.

Hubert Davis calls for ‘no set rotation’ while star player struggles with consistency

RJ Davis, the six-foot-tall guard from New York, shot extremely well in the previous game against SMU, only to be invisible in Saturday’s victory. The sharp shooting guard is averaging nearly eighteen points, four rebounds and four assists. In the last few games, though, he has been very irregular with his shooting percentages and shot selection.

Davis has been oscillating between 26 and 53% field goal percentages, for an average of 38.6– his lowest since sophomore season. His performance has been essential towards the continued success of UNC, and everyone would be looking towards him getting his groove again. But his void has been somewhat filled by freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell who have been stepping up, consistently ending the games as top scorers. Regardless, Hubert Davis doesn’t vouch for a tight rotation.

According to him, for UNC to be the best team it can be, different people need to keep stepping up. “There is no set rotation,” he says. “North Carolina is going to show up and try to become the best team we can possibly become.”

Currently with an overall record of 11-6, coach Davis and his Tar Heels take on the California Golden Bears on the 15th of Jan. Will UNC continue its dream run?