After a rocky start to ACC play, North Carolina is starting to look like the team everyone expected back in October. The Tar Heels dropped three straight road games to open conference play, but they’ve flipped the script in a big way - and just in time.
Now sitting at 16-4 overall and 4-3 in the ACC, UNC has rattled off back-to-back wins that have re-energized the fan base and, more importantly, the locker room. First came a dominant 91-69 win over Notre Dame in Chapel Hill - a wire-to-wire performance that looked like vintage Carolina basketball. Then came a gutsy, come-from-behind win on the road at Virginia, 85-80, a statement game that proved this team has the resolve to win in tough environments.
Head coach Hubert Davis, always looking for ways to keep his team locked in, recently turned to a clip for motivation - one that connects UNC’s present with its past. The clip features former Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye during the New England Patriots’ grind-it-out 10-6 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship.
"It's hard - good God," Maye says on the sideline, clearly feeling the weight of the moment.
“Look at me, it’s gonna be hard, but look, this will be six-and-a-half minutes of our lives if we can get it done,” responds Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Davis is using that message to remind his team: the climb to the top isn't easy, but the payoff is worth every second of the grind.
And that grind is about to intensify.
Next Saturday, the Tar Heels will host archrival Duke at 6:30 p.m. ET - the first of two regular-season showdowns in the Tobacco Road rivalry.
As always, the stakes are high, but this one could have major implications in the ACC title race. The following day, Maye and the Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 - a rematch of the infamous Super Bowl XLIX, when Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception sealed a New England win in one of the most debated finishes in NFL history.
Back in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are leaning on what might be the most dominant frontcourt in the country. Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar have been a force - controlling the paint on both ends, cleaning the glass, and giving UNC a physical edge that few teams can match. In the backcourt, Derek Dixon and Seth Trimble are rounding into form, giving Carolina the balance it needs heading into the heart of the schedule.
Up next: Syracuse comes to town on Monday, followed by the marquee matchup with Duke. Then it’s a trip to Miami and a Valentine’s Day home date with Pitt. It’s a stretch that could define the season - not just in terms of seeding for the ACC Tournament, but in building the kind of momentum that fuels a deep March run.
The question now: Can this group break through and bring home its first ACC Tournament title since 2016 - or better yet, cut down the nets in April for the first time since 2017?
If the past two weeks are any indication, the Tar Heels are starting to believe. And that might be the most dangerous thing of all.