UNC Basketball Hits Its Stride: Tar Heels Off to Their Hottest Start Under Hubert Davis
Twelve wins. One loss. And a whole lot of momentum.
North Carolina basketball is cooking. Following a 48-point dismantling of East Carolina, the 12th-ranked Tar Heels have strung together their best start in the Hubert Davis era - and their most dominant opening stretch since the 2008-09 national championship season. That’s not just a hot start; that’s elite company.
“We’ve gone through a lot in two months,” Davis said after UNC wrapped its nonconference slate. “I’m happy, but not satisfied.”
And that’s the tone around Chapel Hill right now - confident, but hungry. This team has already shown it can win in a variety of ways, and they’re just getting started.
A Resume That Speaks for Itself
The numbers back it up. Heading into ACC play, UNC sits 15th in the NET rankings with a 12-1 record.
They’ve gone 3-1 in Quadrant 1 games - the toughest tier of matchups - and are a perfect 9-0 against Quadrants 2 through 4. That’s the kind of balance selection committees love to see in March.
To put that into perspective, over the previous four post-Christmas checkpoints under Davis, the Heels had just five total Q1 wins combined - and their average NET ranking was a middling 32.5. Last year at this time? UNC was 34th in the NET with a 2-5 Q1 record, and one of those wins didn’t even stay in Q1 territory by the time the tournament rolled around.
This year’s team has already flipped that script.
Statement Wins, Learning Moments
UNC’s nonconference schedule wasn’t just about padding the win column - it was about proving they can hang with the best. A 13-point win over Kansas in Chapel Hill set the tone.
A road victory at Kentucky showed grit. And a neutral-site win over Ohio State added another marquee feather to the cap.
The lone blemish? A 16-point loss to Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day in Florida. But even that game served a purpose - a reality check that seems to have sharpened the team’s focus since.
And they’ve done most of this without one of their emotional leaders. Senior captain Seth Trimble missed nine of the team’s 13 nonconference games with a left arm injury.
Still, the Heels went 8-1 in that stretch, including the win at Rupp Arena. Now that Trimble’s back, the rotation is deeper, the defense has more bite, and the ceiling gets even higher.
The Wilson Effect
Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has been nothing short of spectacular. He leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.6 points and 10.8 boards per night.
But it’s not just the numbers - it’s his presence. He plays with poise beyond his years and has become a reliable engine for UNC on both ends of the floor.
“I feel like we’re learning and getting better every game,” Wilson said. “We learned so many lessons before ACC play.
Like, we played without Seth (Trimble) for a month. With him coming back, I just feel like we’re just gonna keep getting better.”
That’s the kind of mindset coaches dream of from a freshman - growth-oriented, team-first, and locked in on the bigger picture.
The ACC Gauntlet Awaits
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier. The ACC has expanded to 18 teams, and the competition is deeper than it’s been in years. As of Dec. 26, nine ACC squads sit inside the NET top 50 - nearly double last year’s post-Christmas count.
That means opportunity. Eight of UNC’s 20 conference games are currently projected as Quadrant 1 matchups. That’s eight more chances to build a tournament resume that already looks rock-solid.
“I feel like the ACC’s the best conference,” Wilson said. “It’s a really good conference this year, just having an opportunity to get a bunch of Quad 1 wins and position ourselves well for March Madness.”
The Tar Heels will open ACC play at home against Florida State (7-6) on Tuesday, Dec. 30. And while the Seminoles may not be ranked, no one’s taking anything for granted in this league.
Still Room to Grow
Even with all the early success, Davis sees plenty of space for improvement - especially on the defensive end and the glass.
“I don’t feel like we’re anywhere close to where we can be,” he said. “I think we can be a lot better defensively, rebounding the basketball.
I think we can be more efficient on the offensive end. We can shoot the ball better, even though we shot the ball well from three (against ECU).”
That’s the scary part for the rest of the ACC - this team is already rolling, and their head coach believes they haven’t hit their stride yet.
So far, the 2025-26 Tar Heels have combined talent, toughness, and growth into a winning formula. And as the calendar flips to conference play, they’re not just chasing wins - they’re chasing something bigger.