UNC fans have a funny way of measuring disappointment and delight, especially when it comes to the money-making sports. Basketball expectations tend to be sky-high, while football often gets a much lower bar. Right now, that football bar is sitting on the floor, with outside predictions for next season landing at four or five wins.
But if you’re talking about a UNC player who really blew past what seemed possible, Tyler Hansbrough’s freshman season belongs in the conversation. He arrived with plenty of recruiting buzz, so it’s not like he came out of nowhere.
Still, nobody was penciling in 18.8 points a game and 7.8 rebounds. And nobody was imagining a 27-point, 10-rebound night at Cameron to close the regular season with the first of four wins in K’s house.
Danny Green is another one who made a mockery of early expectations, just in a very different way. His NBA path looked like it might be over almost as soon as it started.
Cleveland took him in the second round, used him in 20 games, and moved on. San Antonio gave him a look the next year, but that only amounted to eight appearances.
Then came the turn nobody saw coming: 11 straight seasons as a starter for some very good teams, plus three titles with three different franchises. It’s hard to think of many players whose jump shot improved that dramatically so late in a career.
UNC women’s soccer also delivered a surprise in its own way. The program is usually expected to be excellent, but by 2024 it had gone nearly a dozen seasons without a trophy.
Then Anson Dorrance stepped away right before the season began, and assistant Damon Nahas took over. Olivia Thomas, who had missed much of her freshman year in 2023 because of a hamstring tear, became the centerpiece of an at-large NCAA tournament run.
She turned into an offensive force and helped UNC capture another national championship.
Still, the biggest shock for me came from football in 2019. UNC had managed just two FBS wins over the previous two seasons, both against Pat Narduzzi’s Pittsburgh teams.
Mack Brown was back after five years of ESPN commentary, and his final stretch in Austin hadn’t exactly inspired confidence. The whole season looked like a throwaway rebuild.
At quarterback, the expectation was that either Cade Fortin or Jace Ruder, both sophomores, would win the job. Instead, it was true freshman Sam Howell who took over and threw 38 touchdowns and 3,600 yards.
It ended up being one of the best freshman debuts the sport has seen.
In Other News...
UNC Just Got Hit With Brutal News On 5-Star Marcus Spears Jr
North Carolinas pursuit of Marcus Spears Jr. came up short in a way that stings more because the Tar Heels were in the mix for a player whose stock has only kept rising. Spears, a consensus top-10 prospect who had been viewed as one of the elite names in his class, had been on UNCs board after the staff extended him an offer, but the recruitment always carried the feel of a heavyweight battle for a player with national appeal and a long list of options.
Spears ultimately leaned toward staying close to home, and that decision leaves UNC looking elsewhere as it continues to manage a roster that is already close to full. For the Tar Heels, it is another reminder that even when they get involved early with a premier talent, the final call can still come down to fit, timing and geography, and this one never seemed to tilt in their favor. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Wilson Is Finally Back And Tar Heels Fans Need This
Caleb Wilsons return to the floor is finally here, and it comes with the kind of low-stakes, high-curiosity setting that makes Summer League so useful for a team like Chicago. The No. 4 pick is scheduled to play Friday night against Memphis, giving Bulls fans their first real look at him in a game setting since his North Carolina season was cut short by injuries.
For Tar Heels fans, it is a chance to watch one of their most talented recent players move into the next stage after a frustrating finish in Chapel Hill. The matchup will be on Prime Video at 7 p.m. ET, and while the result matters less than Wilson simply getting back on the court, there is plenty of interest in seeing how he looks in his first competitive action in a while. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Fans Finally Get The Caleb Wilson Moment They've Waited For
Tar Heels fans have had a busy Summer League to track, with familiar names popping up across the NBA as former North Carolina players settle into their pro routines. Henri Veesaar gave Atlanta a lift off the bench with 14 points and six rebounds in a win over San Antonio, while R.J. Davis chipped in 12 points, three assists and two steals for the Spurs, even if the box score also reflected a rough night overall for his team.
The bigger anticipation, though, is centered on Caleb Wilson, who is finally on the verge of getting back on the floor after a long layoff. Seth Trimble also made his Summer League debut for Washington, adding another Tar Heel to the leagues summer showcase, and with more UNC alumni still working through their own opportunities, this stretch has become a useful early look at how the programs recent talent is beginning to spread across the NBA. [Read more 🡒]