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Worst UNC Basketball Start Since Last Time Tar Heels Prepared for UCLA

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Dec 18, 2024 3:58 PM ET

A sense of déjà vu should serve as a warning sign to the UNC basketball program after the unranked Tar Heels (6-5, 1-0 ACC) suffered a 90-84 defeat at the hands of the No. 7-ranked Florida Gators (11-0, 0-0 SEC) at the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte's Spectrum Center on Tuesday night.

As was the case with the 2019-20 Tar Heels, the 2024-25 team began the season at No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll before falling out completely by the third week of December. Also identical to 2019-20, the 2024-25 Tar Heels are 6-5 and getting ready for a CBS Sports Classic bout against the UCLA Bruins.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, 2019-20 didn't provide a blueprint for turning things around.

No, after bouncing back from a four-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over UCLA and Yale, that UNC basketball squad — under the command of three-time national champion Roy Williams and then-assistant Hubert Davis — pretty much lost all hope by losing five straight en route to an absolutely dismal 2-12 stretch.

Nevertheless, Hubert Davis' fourth batch of Tar Heels still has hope. That said, a noticeable chunk of the fanbase is expressing considerably less trust in the 54-year-old's ability to right a ship when compared to his predecessor.

With an 0-5 mark against opponents who currently rank in the top 20, it's vital for UNC to get back on the right track via a statement CBS Sports Classic performance against the No. 18 UCLA Bruins (10-1, 2-0 Big Ten) in New York City's Madison Square Garden at 3 p.m. ET Saturday (CBS).

The ACC's stock has reached an all-time low, as No. 5 Duke and No. 25 Clemson are the only ranked members. In other words, the meeting with UCLA might be one of only a few remaining opportunities for the Tar Heels to record a victory over a ranked-at-the-time foe.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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