Hubert Davis: Is It Deep Run or Bust?

It is about to be Hubert Davis' fifth season as head coach and some of the many words to describe his career in this new role so far would be: roller coaster. From year No. 1 to year No. 4, there has yet to be any consistency after the regular season, and given that all of Davis' rosters have been filled with high-caliber players, it has left some concerned.

The results of each season for Coach Davis:

2021-2022 - National championship runner-up

2022-2023 - Missed March Madness completely despite being the preseason No. 1 team

2023-2024 - Reached the Sweet 16

2024-2025 - Lost in the Round of 64

20 minutes is what separated the Tar Heels from winning the national championship against the Kansas Jayhawks. After the first half, junior Armando Bacot, sophomores RJ Davis and Caleb Love, and seniors Leaky Black and Brady Manek held a 15-point lead — a continuation of the "Iron Five" momentum every team before Bill Self's squad had seen.

But that was until ... the collapse happened.

North Carolina squandered the lead, allowing the Jayhawks to come back and claim the national championship trophy. The following season did not see similar success despite returning four of the five players to start in that game, but Manek was a huge factor as the "stretch-four" — knocking down three-pointers while standing at six-foot-nine, plus crashing the glass for second chance points, and making the right play when it mattered the most.

And since that moment, the Tar Heels have yet to come close during the postseason — the closest being its run to the Sweet 16, a neck-and-neck fight to the finish against Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Then, there was Grant Nelson — scoring 24 points and snatching 12 rebounds.

This past season had talented guards, but was missing an inside presence — it was the first season without Bacot, and his absence was felt on the court. Coach Davis had to try different lineups to see what worked — Ven-Allen Lubin, now playing for NC State after hitting the transfer portal, became the reliable center.

All things considered, is it fair to say that the 2025-2026 season is "deep run" or "bust" for Coach Davis? Yes, he still has some years left on his contract, but given all of the talent on his roster and now looking ahead to this coming season, will it be crucial to the state of his job? Some may feel like it is, while others may not. However, it is important to remember that North Carolina has always been known as a basketball school (which may change given that Bill Belichick is coaching football).

Personal, I like what Coach Davis and General Manager Jim Tanner has built, so they are prepared to go deep in next year's postseason, but maybe too soon to call it quits.

Results happened on the court, and it will be interesting to see what happens.

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